Dragon Chaser
by Avonmora
Summary: Two people who have always minded their own business might not be able to anymore. What happens when those set in their ways and their lifestyles, beliefs and hopes for the future realize that that might not be the only way to live? I'm terrible at summaries. Give it a chance.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! I've been deep in the LOTR world recently, but this has been on my mind and I had to start getting it on paper (fanfiction). A few things before we start:

1) I've altered Charlie's appearance. I want him taller. If I'm allowed to create a brand new character, I can make Charlie Weasley a little taller.

2) I'm treating professional, national Quidditch teams like the NBA or NFL and their players similarly.

3) There's a lot of Muggle clothes. It's more interesting to describe so I'm going with the notion that the movie makers had from the 3rd movie on.

I hope you enjoy this! I'm really excited to post it and get it started!

* * *

"I didn't think it would be so bad here," Adair said, coming up beside her brother at the bar under the tent.

People were milling about the tent, some dancing, many staring at the Quidditch playing siblings.

"You should've known," Oliver replied, handing her a full tumbler of firewhiskey.

They turned around simultaneously to watch the wedding reception unfold before them.

Ron and Hermione were in the middle of the dance floor, laughing, lost in each other as Ron spun her around to the beat of the pop song the band was playing.

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time in the tent outside the Burrow on that October night.

Oliver and Adair were doing their best. Many of the people at the wedding were friends of theirs from Hogwarts and were accustomed to and unfazed by their presence, but those who did not personally know Oliver and Adair Wood stared at them. A few brave people asked for a photo with them or their autographs, but most snapped clumsy pictures from a distance or just gaped.

Adair tipped her tumbler back and felt the sweet, familiar burn as it ran down her throat. When she set it back down on the bar it was half empty.

"You have no idea how much I want one of those," Ginny said as she approached, a hand on her very swollen stomach.

She and Adair had not had time to talk before the ceremony and so Adair gave her an awkward hug due to her friend's size.

"How has the beautiful bride been today?" Adair asked. She had been very close to Ginny at Hogwarts and they kept up an active correspondence. Hermione had been in Adair's year, but Adair's athleticism and Hermione's braininess did not mesh, though they still remained friendly.

Ginny waved at Oliver around his sister and then turned her attention back to Adair. "A bloody nightmare."

Oliver and Adair both laughed, being rather familiar with the bride's uptight nature.

"Luckily, it looks as though Ron managed to coax a few firewhiskies into her," Ginny sighed. "She just about ran the sister-in-laws ragged getting ready for this."

Adair looked over to the table where Fleur, Percy's wife Audrey, and Angelina, though not married to George, were all nursing their own drinks and looking exhausted.

"Well it turned out beautifully," Adair assured her. "And the party seems to be a success."

The three of them chatted for a while longer before Harry joined them. He greeted the Wood siblings and commiserated with Oliver about how close England had been to going to the World Cup. Even though the Cup had been over a month before, it was still a sore subject.

Oliver finished his rather full drink in one swallow to show his displeasure that his team had not made it all the way that year.

"Germany had a really good season, Adair," Harry said generously.

"Thanks. Hopefully we do a little better this coming season," she replied. She was always cognizant of how much she spoke about Quidditch. She didn't want to be in the same category as her brother, though she thought of the sport constantly.

The season opened in less than three weeks.

"How about we slip out and get some sleep, Gin?" Harry asked, hand on his wife's shoulder.

Ginny nodded. "I don't stay out too late anymore," she said with a light laugh. "How long are you home, Adair?"

"About a week and a half."

"Let's have lunch in the city before you go back to Berlin."

"I'd love to."

They set the details for two days after the wedding, giving everyone ample time for recovery, and then the Potters were heading into the Burrow.

"I can't believe I have a friend who's having a baby," Adair said, staring after them.

No one she knew in her day to day life playing Quidditch had children.

Oliver was too busy ordering another firewhiskey to hear his sister.

They continued to watch the party and speak with a few more friends.

"Charlie!" Oliver exclaimed as a tall redhead approached the bar that the Wood siblings had staked out.

Adair watched the two men embrace and was snickering to herself at the raw adoration for the second eldest Weasley she saw in her brother's eyes when they both turned to her.

Oliver frowned at her.

"Charlie, have you met my sister, Adair?" he asked, frown deepening to a scowl as she tried to rein in her laughter.

"I have not," he replied, smiling warmly at her and taking her hand in his to shake. "I hope you're not laughing at my ridiculous haircut." He rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks colored slightly. Adair could see the hints of tattoos where his shirt sleeves were rolled up, dress robe long ago discarded. "Every time I come home, my mum comes after me with scissors and insists I shave. It's easier not to fight her."

"That's not it," Adair promised, taking in his shorn red hair and smooth face. "I'll tell you later," she said conspiratorially.

Charlie gave her a quick wink as he reached for her empty tumbler, setting it on the bar for a refill next to his.

Oliver was looking between his sister and Charlie with a gleam in his eye, but he showed no signs of leaving them alone.

"Charlie, Adair was one of the top ten scoring Chasers in the entire league this past season," He was grinning like a madman at them both. "And Charlie was the best Seeker I've ever seen-"

"Could've played for England if he wanted to," Adair cut her brother off, having heard the same observation countless times.

Oliver flushed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, again trying to suppress her laughter.

""I just thought you two might have something in common," he muttered.

"Well we're probably not going to go make the best Quidditch playing baby the world has ever seen tonight."

Oliver downed his firewhiskey, dreams crushed and clearly caught in his clumsy romantic manipulation attempt. "I gotta go. George is calling for me."

He was clearly not being called for, but he left Charlie and Adair standing alone at the edge of the bar.

"He drives me to drink," Adair said, doing a number on the glass Charlie had handed her.

"Yeah, that was rather painful," he agreed. He looked to where Oliver was standing with George, Angelina, Fleur, and Audrey. They were all staring back at the pair at the bar.

"And now we have an audience," Adair sighed Even though they were people she knew it still made her skin crawl. She turned her back to the group and leaned her forearms on the bar. When she glanced back up at Charlie he was looking down at her with clear blue eyes.

"That probably grows rather old," he mused.

Adair nodded and took another long pull from her tumbler of firewhiskey, not flinching at the burn. "I should have been more prepared even for a private event I guess." She took another long drink.

A camera flashed on her open side and she turned to see a red headed teenage boy.

"Hey!" Charlie shouted. "Knock it off! Get out of here!"

The kid hurried away.

At his full height, Charlie Weasley was quite striking. Adair was as tall as her brother who was quite sturdily built, where she was more lean, and so she wasn't used to men towering over her as Charlie did.

"You don't look much like a Seeker," Adair observed. She stood up and pushed her long, nearly blonde hair over her shoulder, studying him.

"I was pretty scrawny back at school," he admitted. "Wrestling with dragons changed that" he said with a chuckle.

Adair turned away from him once more not wanting to seem too interested in what exactly wrestling dragons had done to his body.

"That must be exciting," she said quietly. "Dangerous."

"I've been bitten and burned once or twice," he replied. "As I'm sure you've had your fair share of injuries."

"Uncle Charlie! Uncle Charlie!" Around knee height, there was a flash of platinum blonde hair, nearly silver. It crashed against Charlie's legs and he groaned theatrically before tossing his niece Victoire high into the air. She squealed in delight and settled happily on his hip. The little girl stared at Adair solemnly.

"You're very pretty," Victoire told her.

Adair laughed. "Thank you. So are you. But what else are you?"

Victoire looked at her, puzzled. With a mother like Fleur and looking like she already did, Victoire would hear the same compliments over and over again. The only physical trace of Weasley blood in the little girl came across in the freckles on her cheeks and nose.

"I bet you're brave and smart and kind."

Victoire nodded eagerly in Charlie's arms, who was staring at Adair intently.

"Those are important too," she said.

Smiling she set her empty glass back on the bar.

"How many of those have you had?" Charlie asked, half bemused and half concerned.

"A lady never tells," Adair said with a half smile.

"And when have you ever been a lady?" A familiar Irish brogue asked from behind her as hands slipped around her trim waist.

"Seamus!" Adair exclaimed, turning around and hugging him tightly.

Charlie and Victoire watched the scene curiously.

"I thought you might be hiding," Seamus said with a grin.

"I'd like nothing more," she admitted.

"Well dance with me before you do and then see how you feel."

Adair obliged easily. "It was nice to meet you, Charlie," she called over her shoulder as she was pulled to the center of the tent.

"Been nearly ten years since our first dance," Seamus said with a boyish grin.

During their fourth year, they had attended the Yule Ball together.

Adair laughed. "Seems like it was a lot longer ago than that."

They danced for a couple of songs and caught up with one another. Adair caught sight of Charlie spinning around on the dancefloor, Victoire still on his hip. She waved at the little girl who waved excitedly back.

Charlie put her down when they were through and she hurried to her parents, Fleur with little Louis on his hip, and the family made their way into the Burrow.

Charlie took a seat at a table with Oliver, George, and Angelina. The latter two were having some sort of spat which wasn't uncommon for them, though they were always quick to make up.

"So what's that about?" Charlie asked Oliver, nodding at Seamus and Adair. They were holding hands as they made their way to sit down with Neville, Hannah, Luna, and Dean. "Are they together?"

Oliver looked up as his sister settled herself on Seamus' lap. He rested his chin on her bare shoulder, an arm wrapping loosely around her waist.

"Adair and Seamus?" Oliver sighed. "Not in the traditional sense. They cut their teeth on each other at school, never really dated, just fooled around."

Charlie continued to watch the pair. They seemed very comfortable with one another.

"So they're friends?"

"Friends who sleep together, I guess." Oliver shrugged. His sister was a grown woman and it wasn't his place to cast his judgement on her or her decisions. There were plenty of other people to do that.

"He's never capitalized on her being a famous Quidditch player so he's alright with me. I think she treats him like a comfort blanket when she comes home. Reminds her of a simpler time or something." He took a long drink. "That was some philosophical rubbish."

Charlie laughed, but he was still watching Adair.

She laughed at something Seamus had said, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hey Katie!" Oliver yelled at the woman who had been on the Quidditch team he had captained at Hogwarts. "Dance with me." He stood, stumbling a bit as she walked by.

"Charming," she muttered, but she took his hand nonetheless.

When Charlie looked back at Adair, she was being approached by a little boy, probably seven or eight, who was holding out a cocktail napkin and a quill timidly, his parents encouraging him from a few feet away.

Adair smiled and signed the napkin, having a brief conversation with the boy before he and his parents went on their way.

Adair said something to Seamus and stood, adjusting her slinky red dress before heading back to the bar.

As her glass was filled, Charlie came back and stood by her once more.

"I've quit counting in case you were going to ask how many I've had again."

Charlie laughed. "I was going to remind you that you never told me what you were laughing about when we introduced earlier."

Adair's eyes lit up a little bit at the mirth from earlier in the evening.

"Just my brother. He talked about you constantly when you played together at Hogwarts and even after clearly. I just find it so amusing that the adoration continues even when he himself plays for England," she laughed lightly.

"I've never met anyone as obsessed with the game as Oliver," Charlie said. They both looked at Oliver attempting to dance with Katie. "You don't seem quite so possessed."

"Not usually," Adair agreed, turning to look back up at Charlie.

He was staring back down at her, tracing the rim of his glass.

She did not look much like her brother. Her hair was fair, skin tanned from training outside. Adair was very thin, whereas Oliver was burlier. He could've moved his hand from his glass to trace her collarbone, jawline, the top of her shoulder, or the ridge of her spine that he could see when her hair was pulled in front of her shoulder as it was.

"Have you ever been in the orchard?" Charlie asked, trying to pull his gaze away from her.

Adair shook her head.

Charlie grabbed his dress robe and led her out of the tent. There were no longer any heating charms and the chill fall air washed over them.

Adair followed him through the yard and into the first few rows of apple trees. She hugged herself from the cold, the strappy red dress not providing much warmth.

"Here." Charlie stopped and draped his dress robe over her shoulders. It hung to the ground and dwarfed her, but she pulled it tightly around her anyway, unwittingly inhaling his scent.

Even in the cool air the heady scent of overripe apples was possibly more intoxicating than the firewhiskey, though that was certainly having its own effect on both of them.

"If you stand right there," Charlie said quietly. "You can see the full moon." He moved her so she was standing in front of him. One hand remained on her shoulder as the other pointed between the branches at the moon, surrounded by bright stars, that was casting down a gentle light.

They stood in silence for a long moment, Adair not moving away from Charlie even as his hand slipped from her shoulder to her waist.

"It's so quiet and beautiful out here," Adair said softly. She closed her green eyes, not used to such silence and stillness. Everything in her life seemed to go by in a blur.

Charlie thought he could smell her perfume over even the scent of the apples. His hands on her waist could feel her warmth through his dress robe.

He couldn't stop himself even though thoughts ran through his head telling him all the reasons he shouldn't do what he was about to do.

They were virtual strangers. She was Oliver's little sister and probably Ginny's best friend. She seemed to have some sort of previous arrangement with someone else.

Regardless, he turned her around so she was facing him. He leaned down slowly and Adair didn't protest or back away. A hand on her lower back pressed her firmly against him as his lips met hers.

Adair almost immediately deepened the kiss, twining her arms around his neck.

Charlie took his cues from her as their tongues met and one of his hands slipped inside the dress robe. Her body was hard, all muscle and bone. His hand bumped along her ribs before grazing the firm swell of her breast. His other hand moved into her long hair.

Adair moaned against his lips as her own hands began to unbutton his white shirt.

Charlie's hand moved back down her body, bunching her red dress as it went until he could feel the smooth expanse of her bare thigh. He pushed them backward until Adair's back hit a tree, causing a few overripe apples to fall down around them, one thumping Charlie on the head.

He pulled away at the contact. Both were breathless and staring at each other.

"We shouldn't do this," Charlie said.

Adair said nothing, pulling his dress robe back around herself.

"We need to go back," he said, already walking out of the orchard.

Adair remained silent as they trekked back through the yard, her heels sinking into the earth. She was trying to think of a time when she had been turned down by the opposite sex and realized she had never been rejected in such a manner.

When they entered the tent, Adair dropped his dress robe over the back of a chair. The party had died down considerably and there were only a couple of tables of stragglers left, one consisting of George, Angelina, Seamus, and Oliver with his head in Katie's lap, babbling nonsense to her as she ran her fingers through his brown hair.

"Could've won the bloody Cup this year."

"I know. I know," Katie replied patiently.

Charlie exchanged brief goodnights and disappeared while Adair attempted to get her brother on his feet.

Seamus was either oblivious or unfazed that Adair had just come out of the orchard with Charlie.

"Are you coming to my place?" he asked, very close to her, just as Oliver stood and she got her shoulder under his arm.

"I should get Oliver home, but I'm not due back in Berlin for another week."

Seamus nodded and bid her goodnight as she and Oliver made their clumsy way to where they could apparate to his flat in London.

"Your brother promised me a real date before the season starts," Katie called.

"I'll be sure to remind him," Adair shouted back.

With a POP! they were gone.

ooooOoooo

"Did you sleep with Charlie?" Ginny asked as soon as Adair sat down across from her two days later.

Adair was breathing hard from dodging photographers on the streets of Diagon Alley. She had instructed Ginny to get a table as far back as she could so pictures could't be taken through the window. Her friend was unfazed by the media attention.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you have carnal relations with my second oldest brother?" Ginny asked slowly, grinning.

"What are you talking about? No."

"George said the two of you came out of the orchard looking quite dishevelled."

Adair held her glass out for the floating bottle of champagne that came by.

"It's a little early, don't you think?" Ginny arched a brow.

"It's never too early to drink when the first thing I'm dealing with today is an interrogation."

"Don't be so dramatic," Ginny laughed. "I don't care."

They ordered their lunch.

"It just seems suspicious. Charlie won't say anything either."

"No one is saying anything because nothing happened," Adair sighed. Not wanting to get into her first ever rejection.

"I find that hard to believe," Ginny said.

"Why is that?"

"Adair, Ginny said as though she were talking to a child. "I read the tabloids."

"Don't believe everything you read, Ginny." There was a note of disappointment in her voice.

The Seeker Weekly was a magazine focusing on Quidditch news around the world, but it unfortunately featured a gossip and picture column as well. Adair had been featured in that column over and over again with male teammates and opponents alike since the beginning of her professional career two years earlier.

There were such columns in the Daily Prophet, which she always found herself in when she was home. She was a daily regular in the German paper as well.

"I truly don't care who you sleep with, but I do like the idea of you and Charlie. We could be family!"

"You have literally turned drunkenly snogging in the orchard into another Weasley wedding," Adair laughed.

"So something did happen!" Ginny exclaimed in triumph.

Adair put her face in her hands.

"Are you going to see him before you go back to Berlin? He's staying until the baby's born. How far away is Germany from Romania?"

"Slow down, Ginevra. These things happen all the time. It's not that serious. It's not serious at all actually. It's nothing."

Ginny sighed, disappointed.

Luckily, Adair managed to shift the focus of the conversation to the impending arrival of Harry and Ginny's firstborn.

"I'll be here to meet the newest addition as soon as I have a few days off," Adair promised.

"Hopefully that's before they're old enough to go to Hogwarts."

"I'll make the time. We'll play England in England this year. I'll demand to be allowed to stay an extra day or two."

Ginny laughed. I think they pay you too much for you to make too many demands."

"That's true. But I'll make it happen." Adair paid both of their bills and stood. "An early congratulations." She hugged Ginny tightly. "I have to meet Oliver for who knows what," she said as they left the cafe and the flashing of camera bulbs took over once more. "I'll write when I'm back in Berlin. Harry had better floo me as soon as that baby's born."

Adair waved and hurried down the street. She tried to remember Oliver's directions and ended up in a grimy, seemingly vacant back alley. She slipped into the numbered door that Oliver had specified and had walked into a sleek office space.

Oliver was waiting for her in the lobby.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"England has an offer for you," he said simply. "I got word last night, but you were asleep already and I was busy this morning."

"An offer?" Adair repeated.

"They want you to play here," he said, grinning.

Adair was silent for a minute.

"Well let's hear it then," she finally said.

An hour later the Wood siblings were back in the lobby, this time as teammates. England had offered her too much money to turn down. They spoke excitedly about having the Wood siblings and what they would do for ticket and merchandise sales.

It had been a whirlwind. England would contact Germany to tell them they had taken a player and someone would be sent to her flat to pack and deliver her things. Adair didn't have to lift a finger that's how bad they wanted her.

"You can stay with me until you find a place," Oliver offered.

Adair nodded. "That was unreal," she muttered.

"Well I'm excited!" Oliver said.

They left out of separate exits so they wouldn't tip off the reporters and photographers that something important had just transpired.

ooooOoooo

Ginny had pestered Charlie relentlessly after her lunch with Adair.

They were at the Burrow a week later and Ginny was pacing in front of the kitchen table where Charlie was sitting, her belly leading the way.

"I think you should take her out before she goes back to Berlin."

Charlie sighed. "What would the point of that be, Ginny?" he asked. "Then I go back to Romania and she goes to Germany. I cannot fathom why you're so obsessed with this. When people don't meet the love of their life when they're ten years old, they can snog whomever they like and it doesn't have to mean anything."

Ginny scowled at him. "I snogged other people," she said defensively.

"Surely you have more important things to worry about," he said. "You're about to become a mother. You could have a child any day now and you're at Mum and Dad's worrying about me going a date with your best friend. You need to get your priorities straight."

"This is a huge priority of mine. Neither of you have ever seen someone seriously," Ginny returned.

"And you think that her living in Germany and travelling all the time with her team and me having a very restrictive schedule in Romania will turn out to be serious?"

"Who knows? I've heard crazier things."

"Will you shut the bloody hell up if I take her out while she's still here?"

"I will," Ginny promised.

"Fine," Charlie grumbled.

ooooOoooo

Adair had gone on a morning run throughout the Muggle neighborhood that Oliver's apartment was in. Living in Muggle neighborhoods protected many players from the prying eyes of reporters and photographers as they couldn't do their jobs in front of Muggles and have to explain who they were photographing and why.

When she came back up the stairs to the top level, Charlie Weasley was knocking on Oliver's door.

"He's not home," she said, startling him.

When he turned around to face her, he struggled to keep his eyes on her face. Despite the cooler temperature she was wearing black workout leggings and a black sports bra accompanied with a Muggle baseball cap she wore just in case a discreet reporter was out roaming near Oliver's apartment. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail, threaded through the hole in the hat.

Sweat ran down her face, her neck, and her chest where it disappeared into her sports bra.

"I...uh...I wasn't looking for him." He tried with all his might to meet her gaze instead of following the rivulets of sweat with his eyes. "I was looking for you."

"Well you found me," she said, moving around him and opening the door by grasping the doorknob and letting the door recognize her before it opened.

There were moving boxes everywhere.

"Is Oliver moving?" Charlie asked.

"Can you keep a secret?" Adair returned, going into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"It is one of my strong suits."

"I am. England signed me to their team. I haven't told anyone. It hasn't been announced. Your sister doesn't even know." She drank nearly the whole glass in one go. "She isn't great at keeping secrets." She studied him for a moment. His hair was still short and his face clean shaven. "Cleary or you wouldn't be here."

"She wants me to take you out before I go back to Romania."

"I figured as much." She leaned her hip against the marble kitchen counter and folded her arms over her chest."Well I'll tell her that we went and that it went horrible if you do the same," she offered.

Charlie shook his head. "I want to take you out."

Adair arched an eyebrow under her ball cap and then shrugged. "I don't start practice for another week so I can squeeze it in."

* * *

Hope you loved it! Let me know if you had thoughts, constructive criticism, ideas, praise, or questions. I'm open to it all. Right now I'm still writing another story and so that will be a priority as well, but I'll do my best to post on both of them as frequently as possible.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys! Here's the next installment of my new Harry Potter fic! I hope you love it!

* * *

Chapter Two

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked his sister, poking his head into the guest room she had been occupying since signing with England.

"Out. So you and Katie can be alone."

Katie had gotten her real date from Oliver, but it hadn't stopped there. They had seen each other more nights than not since Ron and Hermione's wedding.

"A lot of good that'll do me," he sighed.

"It's been a little over a week, Oliver," Adair laughed. She stood in front of the bureau mirror and put in a pair of understated diamond earrings.

"Well I'm used to easy Quidditch players or fans."

Adair arched an eyebrow at her brother.

"No offense, but you know it's true." He continued to study his sister. Adair had on dark jeans, a tight black sweater, and black flats. "Are you going out with Seamus wearing diamonds?"

In the past, he thought they never really went out in public and Adair would go to his flat in sweats.

"Mind your business, Oliver." Adair moved her hair behind her shoulders and then back in front of them.

"George told me you and Charlie-" he was cut off by knocking at the door.

Adair followed him and slipped out as Oliver ushered Katie into the flat, preventing questions from either of them.

When hammering out the details of getting together, Adair had requested they go to a Muggle bar. Since the announcement that she had signed to play with England, the media attention had been more ferocious than normal .

She had no desire for a news story to be made of her and Charlie's "date."

Apparating from one alley to another across the city, Adair found the hole in the wall bar they had decided on.

In the dim lighting, she saw Charlie sitting in a back booth.

"We could have gone somewhere nicer," he said when she sat down across from him.

"I love these types of places," she replied.

Charlie had a Muggle beer in front of him. Adair ordered a whiskey.

They sat in silence for a minute, not sure what to say or even what they were doing their together.

"Did you tell Oliver where you were going?" Charlie asked as Adair's whiskey was set in front of her.

"I did not," she replied, taking a sip of her drink. It didn't have quite the same burn she was used to. "Your brother George can't keep his mouth shut apparently."

Charlie sighed. "He told Oliver?"

"Seemed like it, but I didn't stick around for the entire conversation."

"I could kill him. He's driven me nuts his entire life."

Adair laughed. "I can't imagine growing up with any of your siblings."

"That's why I moved to Romania." Charlie grinned.

"You had the right idea," Adair said. "I'm currently living and working with my brother."

"Big mistake," Charlie agreed. "But you didn't come from a family of seven."

"Thank goodness."

Charlie nodded. "It was chaotic, but I don't think I'd change it."

"What was it like?" Adair asked.

He shook his head. "Hard to describe. Bill and I were..are pretty close because we're so close in age. Percy is Percy, but I tried to be a buffer between him and the twins. They were terrors. Especially to Percy and Ron. I tried to keep the twins in line while we were at Hogwarts, but that was nearly impossible." He took a drink of his beer.

"They were always good to me on the pitch," Adair said. "Very protective. Especially after Oliver left."

"They weren't the worst people," Charlie said. "Ron and Ginny and I didn't spend any time together at Hogwarts and they were two and three when I went to school. Ginny and I are close now. Ron has always been distant. I think he thought he had certain shoes to fill and that got in the way of him being friends with the rest of us. It's getting better now that he's older. He did his own thing, he's an Auror. None of us have done that."

"Your parents are saints," Adair said. Being as close as she was to Ginny she had met Mr. and Mrs. Weasley on multiple occasions and they were were always warm and friendly to her.

Charlie smiled, thinking of his parents. "They are the best parents and grandparents. I can't think of anyone else who could've handled all of us and maintained their sanity."

Adair smiled and took a sip of her whiskey.

"What about your parents?" Charlie asked. "What are they like?"

Adair took a long drink of her whiskey before responding.

"Both ex-Quidditch players," she finally said. "They were really busy when I was young."

"I can imagine. Seems like a fairly demanding career. They must be proud of you though."

She nodded. "Now that I signed with England. Germany wasn't grand enough and Texas certainly wasn't."

Charlie seemed to sense that she wanted to say very little about her parents and so he homed in on something else. "Texas?"

Adair nodded with a light laugh. "Before I signed with Germany, I played in the American league for three seasons for the Sweetwater All-Stars."

"You've been all over," Charlie said.

Adair shrugged. "It was a very fun learning experience down there," she said. "They do almost everything differently," she started to smile. "But in that league, it wasn't so serious and so we didn't have to be. There weren't photographers and reporters."

She polished off her drink and they lapsed into silence. After a while she looked at him. "You can tell your sister you took me out," she said gathering her bag to leave.

"Adair…"he began.

"Look Charlie, not every drunken fling leads to something. You know that and I know that.I think it's just your sister that doesn't know that. Frankly, it's weird that we even went out."

Charlie gave her a small smile and a nod. "Have a good night, Adair."

She stood and left with a small wave.

Charlie sat and stared after her as she left the bar. He was struggling to sort through his feelings after the date.

He had wanted to take her out after their encounter at Ron and Hermione's wedding even if Ginny hadn't insisted on it. After the hour or so he had spent with Adair though, he wasn't sure what he had learned about her.

The woman had given absolutely nothing away about her personal life and he felt as though that had been calculated and intentional.

He sat there, growing frustrated with himself and Adair. He had been excited to meet up with her and get to know her, but apparently the sentiment had not been mutual. He would be sure to tell his little sister all about the horrible date she had insisted upon.

ooooOoooo

Adair knocked on the very familiar door on the other side of London.

Dean opened the door. "Hey Adair," he said. He turned around and went back to whatever he'd been doing. "Seamus!" he yelled. "Adair is here!"

A minute later, Seamus appeared at the door in jeans and a rumpled Ireland jumper.

"Rubbish team," Adair said.

"That's rich," he replied with a grin. "I'm sure they'll beat the piss out of England. I heard they just signed an awful Chaser." He ushered her in. "Can I get you anything?" he asked, closing the door behind her.

"No," she said quickly.

Talking to Charlie about playing for England had rattled her nerves and Seamus wasn't helping. The anxiety of starting for a new, very good team settled over her. Expectations were high for her to perform well. The managers wanted to sell more tickets, Oliver wanted them to be some sort of dynamic duo, and her parents…

Even mentioning them to Charlie had really rattled Adair.

Seamus paused and looked at her for a second before he took her hand and led her to his bedroom. She never gave him any real warning when she was going to appear and so she was used to seeing his room a mess and he wasn't embarrassed.

Nearly before he had shut the door and put a silencing charm on it, Adair was upon him, kissing roughly and pulling the jumper over his head. She undid the button and zipper of his jeans and shoved them to his ankles.

ooooOoooo

Less than an hour later, they were sweat soaked and breathing heavily.

Seamus was ready for it when Adair stood not a minute after they were finished. Not once had she ever lingered.

He watched as she pulled her jeans back over her long, lean legs and pulled her hair out of her sweater.

The roles were reversed with them it seemed. Sometimes Seamus wished she'd stay in his bed, just for a little bit.

"See you later," she said, waving over her shoulder.

He heard her yell goodbye to Dean and she was gone.

ooooOoooo

Katie and Oliver were on the couch, radio on with a bottle of wine when Adair returned to her brother's flat.

Both of them turned to look at her.

"Where are you back from?" Oliver asked, noticing her rumpled appearance.

"Don't worry about it," she replied, going into the kitchen for a bottle of Firewhiskey and a tumbler.

"That's not free, you know," Oliver said as Adair passed back through the living room.

"Oh I think you can afford it," she replied, disappearing into the spare room she was staying in.

Adair stripped out of her clothes once more and took the Firewhiskey into the bathroom, drawing a scalding hot bath.

She swallowed the first tumbler in one go after she settled herself in the tub, trying to numb her mind as quickly as possible.

ooooOoooo

Three days later, Adair and Oliver walked onto the English practice pitch together for the first time.

Coach Williams was a huge man who had once been a Beater for Scotland. It wasn't often that a Beater became a coach, but Oliver assured his sister that Coach Williams knew everything there was to know about the sport. If she was going to trust anyone on that assessment it would be Oliver, who thought he knew the most about Quidditch out of anyone who had ever lived.

Adair was introduced to her fellow Chasers Sienna and Jasmine, as well as the Beaters Ethan and Leo, and the Seeker Logan.

They didn't have much time to get acquainted before they were taken into the weight room for the beginning of the practice.

Oliver and Adair paired up and she was put through the most brutal workout she had ever gone through in her life. She squatted such heavy weight that her legs shook and the bar once came crashing down on her chest while she was chest pressing because Oliver wasn't paying attention when he was supposed to be spotting her.

"Wood!" Leo the Beater exclaimed. He hustled over and lifted the bar as though it were nothing.

Oliver was laughing at his sister's pain.

"Are you alright?" the huge man asked.

Adair nodded, pressing a hand to her chest where the bar had collided with bone.

"I guess I'll have to come up with a better name for your brother than Wood, seeing as that's your name too," he said with a laugh.

"Adair will work and I'll try not to answer to Wood," she returned with a smile. Her legs were still shaking as they walked out to the practice pitch where they commenced running drills.

She had tried to stay in shape in the off season, but it was quickly apparent that the practices in England were going to be nothing like those she had gone through in Germany or Texas.

"This is why is England is so good," Oliver said over his shoulder, passing her as they did a lap around the entire pitch.

After that they did wind sprints across the width of the pitch. Besides the Beaters, Adair came in last every time.

She very nearly collapsed after the last one, hands on her knees, chest heaving.

"On your brooms!" Coach Williams thundered.

Adair could barely kick off the ground, the physical part of practice had been so grueling.

The Chasers ran practice drills with the Quaffle, passing it back and forth, tossing it through the goalposts.

Practice on their brooms lasted for two hours. Adair landed sweat soaked and weak. Oliver came up laughing at her as he slung an arm around her waist.

"You'll be alright, little sister," he said. The other teammates clapped her on the shoulders as they passed by.

She really wasn't sure if she'd be able to get through the shower and back to Oliver's flat.

"You'll get the hang of it," Coach Williams assured her as she passed by him. "Give it a couple of weeks and you'll be able to keep up and those workouts will be nothing."

"I hope so," she said with a sigh.

Sienna and Jasmine pulled into the women's locker room. It was all wood panelled. They had huge cubbies for their clothes, that housed their uniforms and brooms and other equipment when they weren't playing. The showers were tiled and luxurious.

Adair could barely move her arms to wash the sweat from her body. When she was done she pulled her long, wet hair into a heavy bun on top of her head and pulled her sweats back on.

Oliver was waiting for her outside the pitch. "I'll make dinner tonight," he offered, still grinning at her pitiful condition.

"I'm too exhausted to eat," she replied.

ooooOoooo

A week and a half later she did feel better. She was keeping up and learning the flow and rhythm of the team that had existed long before she had been signed. Her teammates had been more than welcoming.

She had found a great flat. It was huge and modern and sleek, mostly black and white. The only problem was that it wasn't far enough away from her brother. It was right around the corner from his building. She hoped Katie could keep him distracted most of the time. She hadn't lived in the same country as her brother since her last year at Hogwarts and it was proving difficult to see him every day. He was completely obsessed with Quidditch as was the whole team, Adair included, but Oliver was aggressive and he felt he could be particularly so with his sister because they were related and she was new.

It was a Sunday afternoon and Adair was putting things away in her new flat. She was guiding things onto shelves and into drawers with her wand, a glass of red wine in her hand. It felt so good to be out of Oliver's flat and into her very own space again. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed living alone and not having anyone else to answer to.

As she finished organizing her closet she heard a voice in the living room.

"Adair?"

It was Harry. She went flying out to see his stag Patronus in the middle of her living room.

"Ginny had the baby. St. Mungo's room 619." And with that he was gone.

Adair quickly finished the glass of wine and pulled on her ball cap and sunglasses before rushing out the front door. When she got to a nearby alley, she apparated into the lobby of St. Mungo's, heading for the elevator.

When she got to the sixth floor, she looked around wildly and then hurried to room 619. She skidded around the door frame and into the room.

Harry was lying on the bed next to his wife, who looked exhausted, but happy. Adair looked around the room to find that Charlie was the only other one there, holding the baby, staring down at the bundle in his arms.

Ginny was laughing when Adair turned back to her.

"What's funny?" Adair asked, before she could even get out a congratulations or ask about the baby.

"You two would be the first ones here," she laughed.

"Excuse me?" Charlie asked. "Mum and dad have already been here."

"Besides them. Of course we called them first. You're alone. Both of you. Even George has to get Angelina and everyone else has a family to organize."

Adair met Charlie's eyes, before turning back to the new parents.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," she said, walking toward them. She hugged Harry first and then Ginny. "You look great, Gin," she said genuinely.

"I feel bloody awful," she sighed.

Harry grinned. "But was it worth it?"

"Yet to be determined," she replied with a grin. "Only joking. Of course it was. He's perfect."

Adair moved toward Charlie and moved the blankets so she could peer down into the bundle. The tiny, wrinkled, babe was sleeping soundly in his uncle's arms.

"James Sirius Potter," Charlie said quietly.

Adair couldn't help but smile.

"Do you want to hold him?"

She looked up at him uncertainly and gave a small shake of her head.

"Have you ever held a baby, Adair?" Ginny asked.

She shook her head again, but her attention was diverted as Charlie was already handing her the bundle even though she had said no.

"Relax," he said in his low voice, with a chuckle.

"Charlie is an expert by now," Ginny said.

Adair looked up at him, terrified. She felt his huge hands on her elbows, adjusting them under the infant.

"There you go," he said, still looking down at her. "A natural."

"Well that is quite the scene," Ginny said with her conspiratorial grin. "The baby looks good on you both."

"Ginny," Charlie said, turning to his sister. "I know you just had a baby and all, but if you don't shut the bloody hell up-"

He was cut off by Bill and his family entering the room, Victoire boisterously trying to see the baby.

"Adair!" Victoire exclaimed, seeing her friend from the wedding reception.

Adair crouched as best she could, balancing herself and the baby so that Victoire could see her new cousin.

"Why are you threatening our sister?" Bill asked, clapping his brother on the shoulder before he kissed Ginny's cheek and shook Harry's hand.

"No reason," Charlie said, shooting a glare over Adair at his sister.

Shortly after Bill and his family arrived, George and Angelina joined the group and the room started to get crowded.

Adair went back over to the new parents and congratulated them once more. "I'll let you have some family time."

"You are my family," Ginny said, tearing up.

"Ginny! What in the world?"

"I'm just emotional," she said, frustrated.

Adair laughed and kissed her forehead. "He's gorgeous. I'll see you all soon."

She squeezed through everyone and got a breath of cool air outside of the crowded room.

She headed back down the hallway toward the elevator, ready to pour another glass of wine and get back to unpacking.

"Adair!"

She turned and Charlie was following her, hustling after her.

"Did I forget something?" She touched the hat on her head and the sunglasses she had looped on the collar of her shirt.

"No...I...I uh...was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink."

Adair looked at him, puzzled. "A drink?"

"A Butterbeer? A Firewhiskey? A glass of wine? Whatever you like. My treat," he said, with a smile.

"I'm in the middle of unpacking," she said.

"Congratulations on getting your own place. I want to hear about it. Let me buy you a drink." He was not going to let her say no. He was frustrated with how things had ended with their last 'date.' He wanted to try again.

"Charlie," she began. "Your sister and her husband are like wizarding world royalty. Did you see the media outside of this place? Rita Skeeter is here."

"And?"

"And when I walk out of here, they'll take pictures of me too. Especially with the England announcement so fresh. If you walk out with me or meet me somewhere, they'll take pictures of you and you'll be my squeeze of the week." She sighed. "I learned all that the hard way."

"I don't care what some stupid gossip column says." He took her by the arm and started dragging her down the hallway.

"Seriously Charlie!" she exclaimed.

"Adair. I don't give a damn."

Before she knew it they were in the lobby and heading out in the throng of reporters who had originally been there to report on the birth of the Golden Boy's first baby.

Cameras flashed at them.

"Adair! Adair! How's practice going?"

"Adair! Are you and your brother going to take England to the World Cup?"

"Who's the new guy?"

"He's not a Quidditch player!"

"It's Charlie Weasley! The dragon wrangler."

Adair recognized the voice immediately. She turned and locked eyes on Rita Skeeter. She hated that woman more than anything. She had been in her column more than once and it was never flattering.

Adair ducked her head and dropped a shoulder, pushing through the crowd. A few trailed them down the street, but they ducked into the Leaky Cauldron and found a table as far away from the door as they could.

"Does that happen all the time?" Charlie asked, breathing heavily.

"That was more intense than usual due to your sister and her husband," Adair said, removing her sunglasses and swiping a hand over her face.

"Two Firewhiskies," Charlie said when the waitress came over.

A minute later they were in front of them and Adair downed hers in one gulp.

ooooOoooo

Charlie went back to Romania a few days later. One day when he made it back to his small flat after a long day with a Peruvian Vipertooth, there was a letter from Bill waiting for him.

He opened it and a newspaper clipping fell out. The letter read:

"What the bloody hell is this about? Mum is having a fit. Good luck."

Charlie picked up the clipping and laughed out loud. In the moving picture, he and Adair were ducking through the door of the Leaky Cauldron. He hadn't realized it in the moment, but he had been trying to shield her from the flash of the cameras with his large body and they had been holding hands. The headline said:

"QUIDDITCH PRINCESS AND DRAGON WRANGLER CAUGHT ON DATE"

* * *

There you have it! I'd love to know what you're thinking so far! I'm open to praise, constructive criticism, ideas! Anything but hate comments and flames!

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	3. Chapter 3

Hi there! I apologize for the delay! Just so you know I've enjoyed the few reviews I've received. I hope you enjoy this chapter and feel compelled to tell me what you think!

* * *

Chapter Three

"What is this?" Oliver asked, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet in his sister's face when she entered the team's meeting room a day after she had been to the hospital to see baby James.

"Looks like a newspaper," she replied, sitting next to him.

The team had been summoned for an early morning meeting as their first match approached. Oliver and Adair were the first ones there.

Oliver frantically flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He slammed it down on the table in front of her. "You made the morning news."

Adair sighed when she saw the moving photograph of her and Charlie slipping into the Leaky Cauldron.

They were holding hands.

"We just got a drink after we saw the baby. I told him this exact thing would happen. It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing," Oliver replied. "You keep saying that, but you keep seeing him."

He had figured out that they had gone on a date after the wedding from George and Angelina.

"The last time wasn't planned and he's back in Romania now. So you and all the damn Weasley's can stop speculating that anything is going on. After getting drinks together twice I'd still say we're strangers and it should stay that way."

"Whatever you say," Oliver mumbled as the rest of the team filtered in and took their seats.

"Adair, glad to see you could tear yourself away from your new boyfriend and join us this morning," Coach Wilson said with a smirk.

Adair inwardly groaned but said nothing. The rest of the team chuckled around her, all having seen the paper.

They went over film from the previous year's game against Portugal. By all accounts, it would be an easy first game for Adair and she only hoped that was the case as she was nervous already.

After the meeting, they went through the process of their weight lifting and cardio routines.

"With Apparition and all that, it really wouldn't be that hard to see each other," Oliver said absentmindedly as they stood next to each other doing bicep curls.

"This is getting out of bloody hand," Adair replied. "You're completely absurd."

"I think you guys should give it a try," he went on.

"Give what a try?" Adar demanded, re-racking her dumbbells and looking at her brother. "We don't even know each other. Are you an expert because you've been seeing Katie for all of two months now?"

Oliver shrugged.

Adair was glaring at her brother, wanting to put her hands around his neck more than anything.

"Knock it off, you two," Coach Wilson called from across the weight room, sensing the tension between the siblings. He had never worked with siblings before and they were all trying to figure that out.

"Leave me alone, Oliver," Adair hissed, knocking her shoulder into his as she passed him to go to the squat rack.

"Everything alright?" Leo, the Beater, asked.

"If you wanted to hit Oliver with a Bludger later, that'd be grand," she replied.

ooooOoooo

A couple of days later, Adair, Oliver, and Coach Wilson met up at The Seeker offices for an interview and photoshoot featuring the Wood siblings.

"This is just what we needed," Coach Wilson said excitedly as they entered.

Adair had often been featured in magazines and newspapers, but she had never been on the cover or written about in the main article.

The interviewer was very nice. Oliver and Adair talked in length about playing together at Hogwarts, their separate paths after that, and what it felt like to be playing together again on an international scale.

The siblings joked with one another and made it seem like they had not been bickering constantly for the past few days. The English team had a person dedicated to making sure players, coaches, managers, and owners were all appropriate when being interviewed by the press.

For the photoshoot, they were dressed in their uniforms, red robes over t-shirts featuring the three dragons over a red and white checkered square. They both wore tight black pants and brown leather knee high boots.

They took serious photos and laughing photos while Coach Wilson was doing his portion of the interview. That edition of The Seeker would come out the day before their first match against Portugal.

ooooOoooo

They practiced for two more days and then were given the day before the match to relax and gather themselves.

Adair could do no such thing. She paced around her flat all that morning, having woken very early. When the pacing began to annoy her, she went for a long run to try and exhaust herself.

She came back and her legs were shaky, her body weary, but her mind was racing, thinking of all of the ways she could mess up at the match the following day and all of the people she would let down if she did.

After the run, she went back to pacing even though her legs were quivering. She took a few bites of an apple, but could stomach no more. She felt as though she might be sick all day.

She poured over her playbooks for hours to make sure she knew every single play that might be called during the match. She didn't want to make a blunder that could be avoided if she had studied harder. She did that until the sun was setting, but the thought of getting into her bed was unappealing.

Instead, she put on sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt and left her flat.

"What are you doing here?" Seamus said, when he answered the knocking at his door to find Adair there, in her Muggle disguise, hiding her face. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? You've got a big day tomorrow."

"I can't," she said tersely.

Seamus knew that tone. It had been a part of Adair's demeanor since their time at Hogwarts.

Never would Adair say out loud that she was nervous or anxious, but he knew the signs. Her voice was strained, her body tense with her shoulders nearly pulled up to her ears, and she would pace like a caged animal if he couldn't get his hands on her.

Seamus slipped into his and Dean's kitchen and poured her a very full tumbler of Firewhiskey.

When he returned to find her in his bedroom, he put the glass in her hand and pulled her hood down to reveal her long, fair hair. He pressed his lips to her neck from where he stood behind her. Her throat moved up and down as she eagerly drank the entire glass of liquor he had given her.

Seamus' hands slipped under the elastic waistband of her sweatpants, bumping over her protruding hip bones as they moved lower.

Adair's head fell back on his shoulder and he felt her body begin to relax. He moved his hands back up and under her sweatshirt. She had nothing on underneath and he knew that was because she came to him with a purpose. They had been doing the same thing for over six years.

While they were at school, Adair used to sneak into the boys' dormitory and climb into bed with him. Like clockwork she would show up before a match and expect him to loosen her body and take her mind from her stress. Even then she had gotten such nerves before competing and he wondered if they would ever go away.

He hoped not.

ooooOoooo

Upon returning to her flat, Adair took a glass of Firewhiskey with her into her bathroom and ran a scalding hot bath. She sank into it and sucked in her breath at the heat, sipping on the drink as she sweated and her skin turned pink. She tried not to think of the match the next day. It was easier to do after visiting Seamus.

It was late and so she didn't stay in the tub for too long. She finished the liquor, drained the tub and ran a cold shower. When she stepped out and towelled herself off, she fetched herself one more tumbler and downed it before crawling into bed, if not exhausted, then half drunk at least, which would keep her asleep for a few hours.

ooooOoooo

"You're going to be fine," Oliver said to his sister as she paced back and forth before him in the locker room. "Seriously, you've earned this. You're meant to be here. It's going to be great."

"Shut up, Oliver," Adair replied, even though she knew he was trying to be nice and supportive.

"Alright," he stood with a sigh and headed into the room where Coach Wilson was going over a few last minute tips and ideas before the match.

Adair took a deep breath and followed her brother. Over the buzzing in her ears, she couldn't really hear Coach Williams as he tried to get them excited.

The team began to file out and Adair was left standing by the doorway. Coach Wilson clapped her on the shoulder rather hard. "You're going to be fine," he repeated her brother. "I pushed for you to be on this team and I know you won't let us down."

Adair thought she might be sick all over his shoes at the prospect of not letting anyone down, but she just nodded and let him push her out ahead of him.

"Oliver and Adair! You two go out last!" Coach Wilson yelled at them.

They heard the Portuguese make their entrance and then Oliver and Adair were following their teammates out of the locker room. They paused, for dramatic effect as they had been instructed, waiting for the rest of the team to get on the pitch before they walked out together.

The crowd was chanting "Wood! Wood! Wood!" over and over again.

The siblings held hands and waved at the crowd before joining their teammates and mounting their brooms. They kicked off and red and white smoke flowed from each broomstick as they flew over the pitch.

It was only the second time Adair had seen their actual pitch as it was not the same one they practiced in. She had been taken there just after signing to grasp the magnitude of the of the team she had signed with.

The pitch they played on was kept pristine in between matches played at home and so they practiced elsewhere. The English pitch was set in an old ivy covered stone castle, complete with battlements and turrets, a drawbridge and a moat around the grass. The stands were made of brick and there were red and white flags everywhere.

The teams assumed their positions. Jasmine was the one who went up to try and get English possession of the Quaffle when the referee launched the ball into play.

Jasmine caught it and immediately sped off toward the Portuguese hoops, Sienna and Adair using the Hawkshead Attacking Formation to keep other Chasers from closing in.

Jasmine threw the ball to Sienna who feigned for the middle hoop, but put it through the lower left one at the last minute.

The stands went wild.

It was Portuguese possession and Adair stayed close to the opposing Chaser who had the Quaffle. She backed off when she realized he was going to pass and she shot out to catch the Quaffle in midair, stealing it from the Portuguese.

"Adair Wood checks the Quaffle from the Portuguese and she is off!"

She went speeding away before most of the players on the pitch had realized what happened. With none of the opposing Chasers playing defense, it was all too easy to shoot the Quaffle through the lower right hoop.

"Adair Wood is making her presence known early, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer boomed.

As it had been predicted, the first match was fairly easy, though it went on for a long time. As the game went into the evening and the signature British fog rolled in, it became harder and harder for the Seekers to spot the Snitch. Both teams were getting tired.

Sienna had the Quaffle and she was flying down the pitch back toward the Portuguese goals, Adair just on her tail, but she didn't pull up fast enough as Sienna entered the scoring area.

A whistle blew.  
"Fuck!" Adair exclaimed.

"And that's Stooging called on Adair Wood!" the announcer yelled.

"You're alright! You're alright!" Leo called as he zoomed past her.

Adair shook her head and went to the middle of the pitch to watch the Portuguese Chaser take their penalty shot. She watched her brother intently, hoping he could make up for her mistake.

"The Wood siblings have got each other's backs! Oliver Wood blocks the penalty shot and the score remains the same!"

They played for another hour. The English were up by 60 points and their Seeker Logan caught the Snitch.

The whole team flew to the ground and tackled each other in their excitement. Even though they had known it would be fairly easy, they had done well and it was never a bad thing to win.

Many fans had purchased meet and greet tickets and so the players stayed on the field to take photographs and sign autographs. Adair and Oliver sat at a table next to each other and greeted the most fans, signing England gear, ticket stubs, and anything else that was presented to them.

When the fans were gone, the press could ask questions of the players and coaches.

"How did it feel to play together again after roughly a decade?" a reporter asked Oliver and Adair.

"I'd say we've still got some practicing to do, but it felt great!" Oliver exclaimed.

Adair nodded. "It's nice to have someone out there who's known you your whole life and who you have a history playing with for a very long time. It makes things easier."

The other players answered questions and then they were free.

"Let's go to the pub!" Leo shouted as they headed back to the locker rooms.

Adair went to follow, but she heard a voice that sent ice down her spine.

"Adair."

She turned to see her mother and father standing on the pitch that had just been evacuated. They both wore deep red robes and frowns. Each player had a private suite that they could fill with family and friends and she had known they were there. She had been expecting an encounter with them after her foul and there they were.

Oliver stopped as well, but his parents just smiled at him. "You did wonderful, Oliver," Mrs. Wood said. "We need to speak with your sister privately."

Adair steeled herself.

"Is that what we spent all of that money on lessons for? For you to embarrass us like that?" her mother demanded. Her father stood about a step behind her, arms folded across his stocky chest. Oliver was built just like him.

"What a stupid mistake to make. You have the whole world watching you now and that is how you show up? You cannot always rely on your brother to fix your mistakes, Adair. That is not fair to him or your team."

Adair just nodded.

"I do not want to see anything like that again, do you understand me?"

She nodded again.

"I said, do you understand me?"

"Yes Mother," she said quietly.

"You may go."

Adair turned on her heel without another word and walked dejectedly into the locker room.

"Adair-" Oliver began.

"Just leave it," she said.

She took her things into the women's shower and tried to smile as Jasmine and Sienna congratulated her on a great game, assuring her that they had both messed up in similar manners in their first few games.

"And some too recent games," Sienna laughed.

"It happens. Don't be too hard on yourself," Jasmine agreed.

ooooOoooo

The radio was on in his tiny flat, the reception staticky. He was flipping through The Seeker. He had always subscribed to the Quidditch magazine, but it was of particular interest to him when he saw Adair's laughing face on the cover. It seemed almost an unnatural look on her, not that he knew her well enough to decide what looked natural and what didn't, but thus far Charlie had only seen her give half-hearted smiles. He did have to admit that she looked good in the English red.

Someone pounded on his door. "Come on, Charlie! Let's grab a drink!"

"I can't tonight!" he called back.

There was a multitude of groaning on the other side of the door and then footsteps heading to the local pub.

Charlie adjusted the knob on the radio again and smiled to himself when he heard the announcer welcoming Adair onto the pitch for the first time.

In Romania, it was ten o'clock at night when the match started and he usually went out with his mates on a Saturday night after a long week of wrangling, wrestling, and taming dragons, but that night he just wanted to sit next to his radio.

He leapt to his feet when he heard that she had checked the Quaffle from the Portuguese and he cursed just as she did when she went into the scoring area with the other Chaser, earning her first foul.

Charlie was still sitting next to the radio when he heard his mates come back stumbling to their own rooms.

He was grinning from ear to ear, even though it was nearly two in the morning in Romania, when the English won and he immediately went to his desk and got a quill and parchment, but then he just stared at it. What was he supposed to write to her? She had seemingly made it clear that it would be best to remain as strangers. Then he was embarrassed for listening to her game and told himself it was because he'd always been an English fan, but he had never missed a night out to sit by the radio before. He shook those thoughts away and crumpled the parchment up.

An hour later though, he got out of bed and went back to his desk, picking up the same quill and a new piece of parchment.

"I listened to England's match tonight! Sounded like you played excellently! Congratulations on your first win! Charlie."

He tied it to his owl and sent it off before he could talk himself out of it again.

ooooOoooo

Many of Oliver and Adair's friends had bought tickets for the game, though they had fit some in the family and friends suite as they each had one. Dean, Seamus, Neville, Alicia, Angelina, George, Ron, Hermione, and Katie met up with the team at the pub the English usually went to after a win.

It was an absolute hole in the wall, but fairly protected from the media. Rarely was there a photo of an intoxicated player in the newspapers or magazines as they tried to hide themselves away.

Adair was congratulated by all of her friends and she tried to smile at them just as she had Jasmine and Sienna after the game, but she wasn't feeling as excited as she had when she landed when the game was won.

She made her way straight to the bar without too many pleasantries to friends or teammates.

She ordered two Firewhiskies and sat at the bar, back to all of the celebrating until she downed them both and let the feeling sink in.

"Come on, Adair! We won! You can't sit here and get drunk alone!" Leo exclaimed, coming up to her and pulling her to her feet.

He ordered two more Firewhiskies and clinked his tumbler against hers, both downing the drink before he pulled her onto the small dance floor and twirled her around. As the liquor and fatigue set in, she lightened up a little bit, but it quickly crossed a line as she continued to drink heavily. Her teammates all bought rounds and so did her friends and it was exactly a Firewhiskey oblivion that she craved after the conversation on the pitch.

The merrymaking went on and Adair slipped off to a back table unsteadily, knocking into other tables and chairs as she went.

It was a while before anyone noticed she was gone as everyone else was quite drunk too.

"Oliver," Seamus said to her brother, coming up to him where he was sitting at the bar with Katie.

The two men were friendly with one another despite whatever relationship Adair carried on with Seamus. He had never done anything untoward with Adair and even since she had signed with England he had not capitalized on his relationship, however casual, with her.

Seamus pointed at the back table, where Adair was slumped over, head on the table, three empty tumblers before her.

"Bloody hell," Oliver said, standing. He sighed and swiped a hand over his face. "I've got to handle that," he said, turning to Katie and kissing her cheek. "Come round tomorrow?"

She nodded and he hurried across the bar.

Oliver lifted his sister into his arms as though she weighed nothing and he crept out the back door that all of the players knew very well.

With a POP! they were in her flat.

He gently laid her in her bed and pulled her shoes off of her. She groaned and rolled over to her side.

"Adair," he murmured, hating to see her in such a state, but knowing that it had not been pleasantries that had been exchanged between her and their mother.

He sat on the edge of the bed for a long while, before finally determining that it would be safe to go back to his own flat.

ooooOoooo

A couple of weeks after England's first match of the season, Charlie received another letter from his brother Bill. It read:

"George, Ron, and I want to take you to a Quidditch match when you're home for your birthday/Christmas. England vs. Italy. See you soon!"

Charlie had to laugh at their obviousness.

* * *

Hope you loved it! I'm hoping to find my stride with this fic soon. I'd love to hear any ideas for things you'd like to see. Don't hesitate to send me thoughts, questions, or anything else. I love anything but hate comments and flames!

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	4. Chapter 4

Hi there! I tried to update a little quicker this time. I hope you love this update. As I told one reviewer, I'm still trying to flesh these characters out and their relationships so help me out if you have ideas. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

"Seems like you were just home," Ginny smirked when Charlie arrived at her and Harry's house as Christmas approached.

"Well it is the holidays," he returned her greeting as he kissed the top of her head and moved around her.

"I can count on one hand the number of times you've been home for Christmas in the last decade."

"Don't start with me." Charlie dropped to the sofa in the living room. "Where's James?"

"Napping thank goodness," Ginny replied, sitting across from her brother.

"Going that well, huh?" Charlie asked with a smile.

"It's fine. Just exhausting."

Charlie figured Harry would be at work for a few more hours as it was the middle of the afternoon. "How about when he wakes up, you feed him and then get some rest? I'm sure I can handle him for a while."

"Really?" Ginny asked as though her brother had offered her a million galleons.

"Of course," he chuckled.

They chatted for a while longer until the faint crying of the baby could be heard upstairs.

Ginny left Charlie downstairs to fetch the baby. He stared around the room at the photos that adorned the walls and the surfaces. There were pictures of his family, Harry's parents, Ginny playing for the Holyhead Harpies, Harry and Ginny on their wedding day, and many more. His eyes caught one that sat on an end table next to a photo of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Ginny and Adair had their arms around each other in their scarlet Gryffindor robes on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.

He almost didn't recognize Adair. In the photo, she would double over with laughter and then wipe at her streaming eyes, Ginny holding her up and also laughing. He had never seen her laugh like that in real life.

"Here you go," Ginny said, pulling Charlie from his observations with a bemused smile.

He cleared his throat and reached for his nephew.

"Leave us alone," Charlie said before Ginny could say a word.

She headed back upstairs and to his annoyance she laughed the entire way.

"I hope you get certain traits from your father," Charlie sighed as he looked down at his dark haired nephew and adjusted the blanket around him.

James seemed to be drowsy after his afternoon feeding and so Charlie got comfortable on the sofa, pulling a blanket over himself as well.

Charlie flicked his wand at the radio in the corner to turn it on softly, but the Wizarding Wireless Network News did not do much to keep either him or the baby awake.

He wasn't sure how long he slept, but eventually James started to stir and fuss against his chest.

Charlie woke and stood from the sofa. The Witching Hour was on the radio and the familiar voice of Celestina Warbeck floated out of the radio. Everytime Charlie heard the voice he thought of his mother. Mrs. Weasley had almost always had Celestina playing at the Burrow while she cleaned and cooked.

James gurgled happily in Charlie's arms as they swayed around the room.

The back door opened and closed and Harry appeared in the doorway to the living room with a smile.

"Hey Charlie!" He approached and peered into the bundle containing his son. "Where's Ginny?"

"Resting. We've managed alright for a couple hours," Charlie replied.

"We can let her rest for a while longer if you've got him under control?"

"He's pretty wild, but I think I can handle it," Charlie joked, following Harry as he went into the kitchen.

Charlie sat at the kitchen table and chatted with Harry about what was happening in the Auror office.

After a while, James began to fuss again and no amount of soothing from Charlie did the trick.

"He's hungry," Harry said. He took James from Charlie, instructing the other man to look over what was going on the stove. Harry took James upstairs and Charlie manned the stove, smiling when he recognized his mother's vegetable soup recipe.

The door opened again and a gust of cold air blew through the kitchen.

Charlie popped his head into the mudroom expecting to see another of his siblings.

Adair Wood was standing in the mudroom peeling layers off and stomping the snow from her boots before kicking them off and looking up. "Oh."

Charlie didn't know what to say. "Uh...hello," he managed lamely.

Adair looked at him, just as confused. "Hi."

"Ginny will be right down," Harry said as he came back into the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw Adair and Charlie staring at each other. He realized his wife may have left out some crucial details when inviting their guests to dinner.

"Can I get you a drink, Adair?" Harry asked, taking back over at the stove. "You look beat."

Charlie tried to get a look at her without her noticing. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt, cheeks pink from the cold, and her wet hair was piled on top of her head in a huge, messy bun. There were dark circles under her eyes as well.

"Thanks Harry," she laughed. "I'd take a Firewhiskey if you've got it."

"Me too," Charlie said quickly.

They sat silently watching the bottle and glasses float down to the counter from their respective cabinets and pour their drinks.

"Cheers," Charlie said, clinking his glass against Adair's before taking a swallow.

Adair stole a quick glance at the second eldest Weasley. His mother had not yet gotten to his hair. It was still long and pulled away from his face and his beard was thick.

"How was your practice today?" Harry asked Adair.

"Cold," she replied.

"You're here!" Ginny exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. She dropped James in Charlie's free hand which he managed easily. She then wrapped her arms around Adair's shoulders.

"You didn't mention it was a dinner party when you invited me," Adair replied.

"It must have slipped my mind," she laughed. "Besides I didn't think you two would mind," Ginny laughed again a little wickedly, going to her husband at the stove and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You're terrible," he whispered, kissing her cheek anyways.

Adair and Charlie tried not to make eye contact.

A moment later, Harry set the pot of soup on the table as well as a loaf of crusty bread. "I doubt it's as good as your mother's, but I tried."

"It looks delicious," Charlie assured him, using his wand to fill a bowl which floated to Adair along with a few pieces of bread before serving himself.

Adair couldn't help but watch Charlie as he held James and somehow still managed to eat.

"Charlie is going to one of your matches while he's home," Ginny piped up, when they'd all been silent for a moment.

"I am going to England's match," he corrected his sister, not looking up from his soup.

"Oliver gave Bill his suite," Ginny continued unfazed.

"How generous of him," Adair said, trying not to grumble about the continuous conspiring between her brother and the Weasley siblings.

The rest of the dinner passed and everyone let Ginny do most of the talking.

Adair probably ate less than half of what Charlie had served her.

"Did you not like it?" he asked, as Ginny waved the dishes into the sink where they began washing themselves.

"It was really good," she replied. "Just what I needed after nearly freezing to death today." It was obvious that she wouldn't answer any more questions on the subject.

She stood. "I'd better get home," she said. "I get to freeze to death even earlier tomorrow morning."

"So soon?" Ginny asked.

Adair nodded. "I have a few days off over the holidays. We can do something then."

"I should go to," Charlie said,

"You're not going to stay here?" Ginny asked.

"And have James wake me up three times in the middle of the night. No thanks." He joined Adair in the mudroom as she stuffed her feet back into her boots and pulled her coat on.

Ginny was grinning at them as they left together.

"I apologize," Charlie said. "I had no idea what she was planning."

Adair laughed as she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked towards the outskirts of Harry and Ginny's neighborhood where they could Apparate.

"I could tell by the look on your face when you saw me that you didn't know."

"I was more surprised at her audacity than anything," Charlie said.

"Really?" Adair asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because I wasn't surprised at all."

"Well I guess not. This has been happening a lot," he replied with a light laugh. "This is getting out of hand."

Adair nodded. "I'm going to take way some of their satisfaction."

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her.

"We typically go out after a match. You should come after the Italy match."

Charlie couldn't help but grin. "I'd love to."

"Well I'll see you then," Adair said. She was gone with a POP!

"Good luck!" Charlie called after her even though she couldn't hear him. He hadn't even realized that they'd made it to the edge of the neighborhood.

ooooOoooo

In his old room in the Burrow, Charlie was standing in front of his mirror, a pile of clothes behind him.

"You've been to a Quidditch match before, you bloody git," he muttered to himself.

The little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he had never gone to one of Adair's matches, watched a match in a suite, or gone out with a professional Quidditch team.

In the end, he decided on dark jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, and his beat up combat boots. With a huff he thundered down the stairs.

"You look so handsome, dear," his mum said as he slipped into his coat. "But we should cut that hair tomorrow."

"Sure Mum," he said, bending over and kissing her cheek, before heading out the door and Apparating to meet his brothers.

He only had to search for a minute once he landed on the hill, one of the several surrounding hidden spots for spectators to Apparate to.

Charlie nearly immediately spotted his three red-headed brothers.

"Charlie!" George called.

"He can see you, you idiot," Bill said as Charlie hurried toward them. "Here." Bill handed Charlie what looked like a VIP pass on a lanyard. "You've got the Quidditch hookup now. Don't screw it up."

Charlie shook his head, but didn't say anything as they made their way to the entrance of the pitch over the moat. When they showed their badges, an usher escorted them to an elevator that took them all the way up to a suite at hoop height. Oliver and Adair's suites were right in the middle of the pitch so that they would be able to see the entire game.

"This is insane," George said as he wandered around. There was free liquor and food to one side of the room and stadium seats right in front of the windows.

Charlie grabbed a Butterbeer, shed his coat and took a seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer boomed over the stadium. "Here come the Italians!" The team flew throughout the stadium in their bright green jerseys. Mostly, the crowd booed them.

"And here is your English team!" the announcer boomed. Charlie stood up at the window as they walked onto the pitch.

Oliver and Adair came last, holding hands and waving to the fans. When they appeared, Charlie was afraid the cheering of the crowd would bring the stands down.

He couldn't help but smile watching Adair kick off from the ground, her blond braid flying behind her.

She caught the Quaffle when it was released and almost immediately scored a goal. Charlie clapped loudly, but stopped when he realized all of his brothers were staring at him.

The match was very close throughout its entirety and it got a little bit physical toward the end.

Adair was speeding down the pitch toward the Italian goals when out of nowhere an Italian Chaser came in and slammed into her, an elbow going straight into her face.

"Bloody hell!" Charlie exclaimed, standing up quickly.

Adair managed to keep hold of the Quaffle until one of the other English Chasers came to her aid and she tossed it over to her. Blood was pouring down her face.

"That's cobbing on Bianchi and England calls a timeout!"

Adair landed a little awkwardly on the pitch as she held a hand to her nose, blood getting out between her fingers and staining her white t-shirt.

One of the team medics hurried out and had Adair swallow something, wiping at her face. When the blood stopped flowing, the medic took his hands and popped her nose back into place for the whole crowd to see. There was a collective groan as Adair bent over and hid her face for a moment.

She had a brief conversation with her coach after that, but she was nodding. When the timeout was over, she kicked back into the air.

After the foul, England played with a vengeance and they quickly scored another three goals before their Seeker caught the Snitch and the match was over.

The Weasley brothers lingered in the suite until all of the publicity was done and Oliver and Adair came up to join them.

Charlie went immediately to Adair. "Are you alright?" he asked lowly.

She looked at him curiously. "I'm fine."

"She probably broke her nose three times at least in the years we played together," George said with a laugh. He walked right past his brother and took Adair's chin in his hand, turning her head both ways. "You have black eyes."

"I'm sure the fans loved taking pictures with you looking like that," Ron laughed.

"That's why it took so long," Oliver grumbled. "Oh well. We'll get changed and then you all have to come out for a drink."

"Twist my arm," George grinned.

The Wood siblings disappeared and the Weasley brothers made their way to the pub they had been told to meet them at.

Charlie went to the bar and ordered four Firewhiskies. He downed his in one go.

"You seem a little nervous," George teased him.

"Shut up," Charlie growled.

"His eyes didn't leave her throughout the entire match," Ron added.

"Come on guys," Bill said. Charlie looked at his oldest brother hoping he would intervene. "It was clearly mutual. Did you see how she looked at him when she came into the suite."

They all burst out laughing. It had been obvious that Adair had been put off by Charlie and his concern.

"Another Firewhiskey, please," Charlie said to the bartender. "Get you own, you bloody bastards."

They grabbed a table and waited for the team to appear. A few of their other friends trickled in including Seamus Finnigan.

A few moments later, the victorious team came tearing through the door. They were cheering and laughing and nearly climbing over one another to get to the bar. Charlie noticed that Adair hung back a little bit.

As everyone began to mingle, over and over again Charlie tried to get to Adair, but she was occupied with her teammates, especially one of the Beaters, her brother, her friends, and Seamus. When she came near the Irishman, he draped an arm casually over her shoulders and murmured into her ear.

The bruises around her eyes had gotten even darker in the time it had taken her to shower and change.

"You were all angry at Ginny and Oliver for trying to set you up, but you haven't taken your eyes off of her all day," Bill said as he came up to Charlie, clapping him on the shoulder.

It was true and he knew it. His eyes followed her all around the bar. Despite the cold weather she was wearing a leather mini skirt and a white tank top with knee high boots. The other female players were similarly dressed, but he only looked at her.

He felt the signature Weasley blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks. "I have absolutely no chance."

"It looks that way," Bill agreed with a laugh, going back to the bar.

The Beater twirled her around the dancefloor and her eyes caught his.

After another half hour of drinking and dancing, Adair joined their group of friends and the Weasleys.

"Thanks for coming out again, you guys," she said to the group in general. "I'm going to head home though. My head is pounding."

"The party is just starting!" Dean shouted at her.

"I know, but I bet you all can handle it without me this time." She gave a wave and put her coat and scarf on, heading for the back door. Oliver caught her on the way out.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I just need to nurse this headache at home."

Oliver hugged her quickly before going to find Katie once more.

Just before she reached the door, Charlie caught her arm. She looked up at him.  
"Do you need help getting home?" He didn't mean anything by the question. He genuinely wanted to make sure she got home alright.

"I should be alright, thanks. I've gotten home with worse injuries than this." She did give him a small smile and he released her arm.

"Be careful, Adair," he said.

She lingered, staring up at him for a minute longer before she left out the back door of the pub.

ooooOoooo

The next time Charlie saw Adair she was coming through the door of Oliver's flat. Her brother had decided to throw a fancy New Year's Eve party and Charlie was still in England so he attended in his dress robes.

Adair was all legs. Her dress was covered in black sequins and hit above the middle of her thigh. She was wearing what he would have guessed were three inch strappy black heels and her hair was piled elegantly on top of her head.

Ginny rushed to her friend. She and Harry had left James with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for the night, going out for the first time since he'd been born. It had taken the new mother a while to muster up the courage.

She had arrived more than fashionably late. It was after eleven o'clock. Charlie went to the bar as he knew that's where she'd head first. He watched her greet her friends and chat with a few of them.

"Your eyes look better," he said, handing her a tumbler of Firewhiskey when she finally made her way over to get a drink.

Adair laughed. "Thanks. The bruising is almost gone. Makeup handled the rest."

"I didn't get to tell you that you played amazingly."

"Oh," Adair looked away. "Thank you. I'm getting the hang of the team, I suppose."

"Being related to Oliver, I didn't really expect modesty from you, I have to admit."

Adair laughed harder at that. "Thank goodness I don't have most of his traits."

"He certainly wouldn't look as good in that dress," Charlie said, his voice dropping, allowing his eyes to look her over and take her in. Her delicate collar bone was evident in the strapless dress as were her lean arms, tiny waist, long legs, and cleavage. It was almost impossible to drag his eyes back up to hers.

"Your mum hasn't gotten to your hair yet?" Adair asked.

His long, red hair was pulled back in a sleek bun.

"I mustered the energy to fight her this time."

"And you kept your beard too. That must have been quite the battle of wills." Adair had had a Firewhiskey or two before coming to her brother's party and she found herself reaching up to stroke his bearded cheek.

Charlie laughed out loud. "We almost brought the house down yelling at one another. I had to remind her over and over again that I just turned thirty-one and can do whatever I damn well please with my hair."

"Maybe you should cut it at your age," Adair teased him, laughing once more.

Charlie shook his head though he was still grinning. "I'm ancient. I know."

Over the next half an hour people came up to talk to them both. They asked Charlie what he had been up to if they were friends from school and they all complimented Adair's Quidditch playing since she had joined the English team.

"Look at your sister," Adair said, nodding her head in Ginny's direction. Ron, Hermione, and Ron were talking around her, but she was staring at Adair and Charlie not paying the others any mind at all..

"She is completely eaten up with us," Charlie laughed. They hadn't even realized what time it was when the whole party began counting down for the New Year.

"Let's give her something to keep her interested," Adair yelled over everyone counting down.

"Three, two, one!"

She reached up and twined her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she could kiss him. It started out innocent enough, but she immediately wanted more from him.

His huge hands roamed down her back, pressing her hard body firmly against him. His tongue slipped into her mouth and she clutched the lapels of his dress robes.

There was an inordinate amount of yelling and cheering after the New Year, 2004, was rung in.

Someone snatched Adair by the arm and she looked over, disoriented from the kiss, to see that it was Angelina. "Oliver just proposed to Katie while you were snogging."

"What?" Adair asked.

Angelina drug her toward the middle of the living room where Oliver and Katie were kissing in the middle of all of the furniture and party guests. Adair saw the huge, gleaming diamond on her ring finger.

"Bloody hell," she murmured.

When Oliver sat Katie down, he turned to his sister, rushing to give her a hug. Adair hugged him back. "That was fast," she whispered.

"When you know, you know," he said with a grin.

Katie came over as well and Adair gave her a congratulatory hug.

"How romantic," Ginny said, coming up beside Adair. They stood in silence watching the happy couple for a moment. "Oh, I saw you snogging Charlie. Looked like you needed some privacy."

"I'd like nothing more," Adair said to shock her friend, though she wasn't sure it was a lie. His hands had felt amazing and the heat from their bodies was intoxicating.

She walked back over to Charlie. "I could use that escort home tonight," she said.

He nodded. "I'd be happy to get you home."

Adair fetched her coat and they quietly left together.

They Apparated about a block away from her flat, into a deserted alley. Her palms were sweating a little bit as they made their way to their building. It had been a while since she'd slept with someone new.

Since it was a Muggle building, they rode the elevator up and then walked down the hall to her door.

"You're home," Charlie said with a soft smile.

"Do you want to come in? Have another drink?" Adair offered.

"Maybe another time. I'm leaving in a few days. Can I take you out for a nice dinner before then?"

Adair sighed. "I hate going out. For obvious reasons."

"Yeah, you warned me last time and I didn't listen. I can cook," he offered. "Let me cook for you."

"Sure," Adair agreed.

"Great. I'll be over tomorrow evening." He kissed her cheek and then headed back down the hall.

Adair entered her flat and closed the door behind her, leaning against it in exasperation. That was the second time they'd gotten hot and heavy and he abruptly stopped it and wouldn't go further.

That had never happened to her. If she wanted to go to bed with someone, she went and they eagerly followed.

ooooOoooo

The next night, Adair was sitting at the dining room table she rarely used across from Charlie. He had cooked an absolutely delicious pasta and brought a bottle of fine red wine. Again, Adair only ate about half of what was on her plate.

"What's that about?" Charlie asked, gesturing at her plate with his fork.

"I don't want to weigh my broom down."

Charlie snorted. "I don't think that's possible." But he dropped the subject.

They had spent the evening laughing and joking with one another as they had the night before. Adair couldn't believe the chemistry and the tension she was feeling. They had kissed sporadically as he cooked, but he had been focused and it was nothing like the night before or at Ron and Hermione's wedding.

She leaned back in her chair after filling her glass of wine and studied the man across from her. She pulled one of her legs up into the chair so her knee was under her chin.

When he was through, Charlie guided the dishes back to the kitchen without a word. Adair followed him.

"Thanks for letting me feed you if that's what you call it," Charlie said, turning to her. "You look disappointed. Did you not like it?"

"So what? Are you saving yourself for 'the one' or whatever?" Adair asked, ignoring his concern.

Charlie snorted. "I don't think so."

"So what is this?" she asked, gesturing between Charlie and herself.

He laughed. "There can be more to it than going to bed with someone, Adair."

"I don't have time for all that," she groaned.

Charlie pressed a kiss to her cheek and then went to grab his coat. "I'm trying to keep your interest. So far that's been rather difficult."

* * *

There you go! I hope you loved it. Please let me know your thoughts and feedback. I love everything except hate comments and flames.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	5. Chapter 5

Hi folks! I apologize for the delay. I've been lacking some motivation, but when I did sit down to write I couldn't stop. So this came out really long. I'd love to hear what you think. Also, here's a picture of what I want my Charlie to look like (take out the spaces in the beginning):

community. sparknotes. com 2018/12/27/charlie-weasley-angelina-johnson-8-more-of-our-fave-under-appreciated-harry-potter-characters/slide/6

Enjoy!

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Chapter Five

She didn't want to be thinking about him. There was no point in it. He hadn't even wanted to sleep with her, but there she was sitting on her broom, hovering above the pitch thinking of the last dinner they had shared in her apartment before he went back to Romania.

Adair remembered vividly the laugh lines around Charlie's eyes and mouth, as she had made some joke or another about what it was like to be playing Quidditch with her brother. Poor Oliver. Quite a lot of jokes were made at his expense where Adair was concerned.

She shook her head when Coach Williams yelled at her to pay attention to what was happening. She was just bobbing around on her broom, not focused at all on the new play they were trying to learn during that practice.

She somehow got through practice, but when she came out of the women's locker room, Oliver was waiting for her.

"What the bloody hell is going on with you?" he asked her. "You were a mess today."

"It was just an off day," she said with a shrug. "I've seen you have them."

"I think you were thinking about Charlie," he said with a smirk.

"Charlie?" she returned, not looking at him. "Charlie Weasley?"

"Oh don't play coy. I know he came to your flat before he left for Romania."

That got Adair to look at him. "How do you know that?" As far as she knew, they had not told anyone that they were getting together after Oliver's New Years party.

"I have my ways."

"I cannot believe that you're still on about this," Adair groaned. "It was a fling. It's over. Not even a fling. Nothing happened."

"What?" Oliver stopped walking. "What do you mean nothing happened?"

"We really don't need to discuss this," Adair said, continuing to walk toward the spot they all typically Apparated from outside of the practice pitch.

"So you just snogged a couple of times?" Oliver ignored her and went way past the line of propriety.

"I'm not discussing this with you," Adair repeated.

"That's disappointing," Oliver shook his head.

"That's not a normal brotherly response to the situation," Adair said.

"I thought there was something there. I thought you guys were feeling each other."

Adair sighed, not wanting to admit that she had thought the same thing as well, but had been turned down three times by Charlie when it came to taking him to bed.

"Apparently you were wrong," Adair said. "As we both tried to tell our very nosy siblings from the moment they got this ridiculous notion into their heads."

Olive sighed. "Bloody hell."

ooooOoooo

He woke up in the middle of the night thinking he could smell her perfume just like he could that night in the apple orchard. It was richer and perhaps muskier than the nearly sickly sweet scent of the overripe apples.

Or maybe it was her sweat from when he had met her at Oliver's flat after her run. That image of her was seared in his mind with her long blond hair and sweat running down into her sports bra and down the lines of her abs into the waistband of her leggings.

Charlie groaned and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept through the night. He dreamed of watching her play Quidditch and sitting in her flat with a glass of wine. And then there were the other dreams…

He had been an absolute idiot in not going to bed with her. When he left England it was all he could think about.

Adair had not been trying to play girlish games with him to maintain her image of innocence. She was real when it came to that, if nothing else. He had known from the first that if he had taken her up on it, she would've gone to bed with him straight away, but he had wanted to get to know her.

That had proved useless. He still knew nothing about her. And normally that would've been a turn off for him, but in this case he was hungry for information.

He had never met anyone like her. His family was loud and open as were the lads he worked with at the dragon sanctuary. They were all free with their feelings and opinions.

Adair could smile him and be distraught under the surface and he would never have known. He wondered if anyone would have known what was going on with her. Even Oliver didn't seem to have the clearest of ideas about his sister.

Charlie laid awake for another couple of hours, unable to fall asleep before he had to get up and start his day. Even has he dressed for the day his mind lingered on Adair.

He made his way out to the paddock. He faced the prospect of a very angry Romanian Ridgeback mother who had had her eggs taken from her before she was brought to the sanctuary and still his mind was on Adair.

He wondered what she was doing as he climbed into the paddock and caught the rope that one of his mates tossed him. He wrapped it tightly around his forearm, not for a minute alarmed that it was attached to the collar the dragon wore, and then got his wand out so he could charm the poor mother if need be, but they didn't like to do that if they didn't have to.

He knew he should've gotten his mind where it needed to be in order to deal with such an aggressive animal, but he couldn't tear his thoughts away from Adair.

She hadn't told him one bloody thing about herself, but still he wanted her. He wanted to wrap her long hair in his hand like the rope he was holding. He wanted to pull it and expose her smooth throat to his mouth.

He glanced down, picturing such a thing, just as the dragon turned her attention to him. She was enraged and she wanted to be set free to find her babies, but these men had her bound.

She loosed the flames from her mouth and Charlie wasn't even looking. His senses were dulled. He had never gone into a paddock so absolutely senseless.

"Charlie!" The other men cried his name.

He came to himself just in time to leap out of the way and avoid being completely engulfed by the flames, but he wasn't quick enough.

He shouted out in pain when the flames seared the flesh on his left shoulder.

The other men were yelling to distract the dragon and even in his nearly unconscious state he was horrified that they had to hex the Horntail to prevent it from killing him and others. It was his fault he had been injured.

Someone came and dragged him out of the paddock and he heard footsteps pounding toward him. It was all familiar. He had been there before. Not in a long while. Not since he was new to the sanctuary. He had had a very long record of sustaining no injuries from the dragons he cared for.

Charlie cried out in pain when someone dropped to their knees next to him and poured the burn potion onto his skin. They hadn't had to rip his shirt off of him as he imagined most of it was burned away.

"What the bloody hell were you doing?" His closest friend at the sanctuary,Sandor, exclaimed. He was the one who had dragged Charlie out of the paddock and sent for the burn potion. "You're lucky to be alive!"

Charlie sighed and shook his head. His shoulder still felt as though it was on fire. Injuries sustained from dragons weren't easily healed and so even though he had the potion poured on the wound it would still take time to heal and it would seep and pus and cause him a great deal of pain for the following week or so at least.

"You need to get your head right, mate," Sandor said, shaking his own head. "You won't make it out alive if you climb in a paddock like that again." He gingerly helped Charlie to his feet and then escorted him to his room.

ooooOoooo

"He's gotten rather animated," Adair said as she took James into her arms.

Ginny had reached out wanting to get together and get herself and baby James out of the house after a long few months cooped up in their house. Adair had suggested a walk in a fairly secluded park near to her flat.

They had done a few laps around the small park and then settled on a bench. James was staring up at Adair and giggling when she made a face at him.

Ginny laughed as well. "He's coming right along." She looked at her son lovingly.

"Are you going to go back to work and interview me anytime soon?" Adair asked, genuinely interested in her friend's plans.

"That's a bit conceited. You think I need to go back to the Prophet just to interview you for the Quidditch section?" She was still laughing, knowing that Adair had been joking. "Haven't plenty of the other reporters there interviewed you?"

Adair sighed. "I suppose they have, but they always botch it."

"'The Ice Queen of Quidditch,'" Ginny said quoting a line from a particular interview that had been done by one of her male colleagues. She knew Adair hated it.

"You'd really get my feminine, bubbly, friendly side," she scoffed.

"I didn't know you had one of those," Ginny returned.

"I may not."

They lulled into a silence. Adair tried to keep her thoughts from Charlie. She was afraid Ginny could read her mind and would know that she was thinking of her brother.

Adair was right.

"So when is Charlie coming back to England? Or are you meeting him while you travel?"

"How would I know what Charlie's doing? He's your brother," Adair said quickly.

"I just assumed you two had planned another rendezvous," Ginny replied.

"Your mum annoys the bloody hell out of me," Adair grumbled to James, who laughed up at her.

"Don't use profanity in front of the baby," Ginny said, not very seriously. Adair figured the baby had heard it many times from his mother's mouth.

"Don't irritate me in front of the baby."

"We were all just so hopeful that you guys might like each other," Ginny said softly.

Adair looked at her friend, eyebrow raised, not used to the tone she was using. "We liked each other fine, Gin. But we both told you that nothing was going to happen. I'm not sure why you're still on about it."

Ginny shook her head. "Neither am I. You just saw a lot of each other before he left."

"How do you and Oliver know this?" Adair exclaimed. "Are you having me followed? Did you put some sort of charm on me?"

Ginny laughed. "I love that Oliver knew too. Perhaps you just weren't all that discreet," she suggested.

"I'm going to have to stop seeing you both unless you drop this nonsense."

"You wouldn't do that," Ginny said taking James back and putting him in his pram.

"I'm really considering it."

"I know you play in Romania in a month," she said with a wink. "Maybe Oliver and I can arrange something."

"Don't you dare."

ooooOoooo

Charlie was sitting up in bed when he got his sister's letter. He had been in bed for a week from the burn on his shoulder. He hadn't yet put a shirt on, but he knew when he did that it would be visible, creeping up his neck.

Ginny had written to tell him that England would be playing Romania in Bucharest in March. He chuckled. Of course he already knew that.

Charlie had the date ingrained in his brain. He had asked for the day off so he could go to the capital. He had told his supervisor that he had a friend who played for England. It wasn't a lie exactly. Oliver was a friend.

He had been toying with the idea of writing to Oliver and figuring out where he could see Adair while they were in Adair. One or the other of them had told him that the team normally stayed the night wherever they were playing. Sleep was very important to the team so just in case a game went late they had hotel rooms booked for them so they could rest.

He was glad he had asked for the day off before his injury or it might not have happened.

Normally, he would've asked Sandor or someone else from the sanctuary to accompany him to Bucharest, but since he really wanted to see Adair alone he decided to keep it private.

ooooOoooo

England won, but Adair ended up with a cut from her cheekbone to her chin. In her career, she had found that some of the nastiest games she played in were with teams from Eastern Europe. Those players weren't afraid to go crashing into their opponents. Despite the foul being called, Adair would still have a scar from the incident even though the team healer had already made it begin to close over.

She walked into the little pub the team had decided to drink in after the game. It was already nearly midnight as the match had lasted so long.

She was lucky she hadn't sustained some worse injury. She had barely been able to focus on the match due to thoughts of Charlie. She was where he lived. She might have reached out to him if he hadn't seemed so utterly disinterested when they had parted ways in England.

Adair shook her head, trying to clear her head for the celebration, but as she walked into the bar she thought she saw a flash of red hair.

"Adair!"Sienna called out to her, gesturing for her to join her and Jasmine at a small table. "You have to try this shot. That red-headed guy at the bar recommended it."

"What red-headed guy?" Adair asked, taking the small glass in her hand and looking hard at her fellow Chaser.

"The tall, good looking one," Jasmine said. "Not sure what he's doing here. He's British too."

Adair looked back to where she had thought she had seen the red hair before. Charlie was grinning at her, leaning against the bar.

"He's a dragon wrangler at a sanctuary here," she said with a small smile.

"You know him?" Sienna exclaimed. "What are you doing with us? Get over there!"

Adair threw her shot back, surprised that it burned more than her favorite firewhiskey.

"So our siblings continue to conspire," Adair said when she approached him.

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his boots. "Actually, not this time. Ginny threatened too, but she didn't have to. This was my doing."

"Your doing?" Adair raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he sighed and finally looked up at her. "I wanted to see you so I wrote Oliver."

"I didn't realize that was how we left it after the holidays," Adair said. "I thought that was sort of it." She was putting up some sort of front even though she was so glad to see him. She could feel the giddiness bubbling up in her chest, but she pushed it down.

"I could have been more clear," he agreed.

"More clear," Adair shook her head and then turned to the bar. "Firewhiskey," she said. "Double."

"As you could've been," Charlie said from behind her.

"I was very clear about what I wanted," Adair responded. "Even at Ron and Hermione's wedding."

"And that was it? That's all you wanted?" Charlie asked.

Adair kept her back to him.

As the bartender slid her drink to her, she felt Charlie's presence behind her. He placed his huge hands on either side of her and his breath tickled where her neck was exposed, blonde hair piled on top of her head.

"That's not all I wanted," he whispered. "But you're so bloody stubborn."

Shivers went down her spine and her hair stood on end.

Adair tried to pretend he was having no effect on her, but when she tilted her head back to swallow the entire firewhiskey, her head rested on his shoulder. She almost choked when he bent and pressed his lips to her naked throat.

Charlie's calloused hand just barely slipped into the waistband of her skintight jeans and pulled her flush against him. His mouth moved to her ear. "Let's go to your hotel."

Adair turned toward him. His mouth immediately found hers and he turned her so her back was pressed firmly against the bar. She wrapped her hands tightly in the light, beat up leather jacket he was wearing.

The bartender said something roughly in Romanian and Charlie pulled away. "He says we need to get a room."

"Tell him I already have one.

Charlie laughed and put some money on the counter for their drinks before they both headed for the door.

The hotel wasn't far away and so they walked, or jogged as it might have looked to anyone else, so eager were they to get to her room. They held hands the entire way there and luckily no one saw them. Not many reporters came in person to the games that were too far away.

They burst through her hotel door and Charlie barely took notice of the luxurious room they were in. "Bedroom?" he asked.

Adair led the way to the bedroom where a huge four poster bed sat with sumptuous red linens and a heavy comforter.

He took his jacket off and pushed hers off as well, hands going to her trim waist, pulling her against him hungrily, his mouth on hers.

Adair reached up wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers going into his hair. She had never been with anyone with long hair. The Quidditch players were all clean cut.

Charlie's hands slipped under her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing the black bra she wore underneath. He pulled away a bit and studied her even as his hands went to the button and zipper of her jeans.

Adair's collarbone and ribs were visible, her stomach flat and tight, and her breasts begged to have his hands on them. He wasn't sure where to look or what to do first.

He pushed her onto the bed and yanked her jeans and underwear off so she was just left in the bra and then he pulled his own shirt off and pushed his jeans down. He hovered over and kissed her deeply, hand working its way under her backside for leverage.

"What happened?" Adair asked, when she noticed the burn that went from his upper arm to his neck.

"I was distracted and I got burned," he said lowly. He settled between her legs and pushed into her. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Adair gasped at the sensation and her eyes closed as he moved within her. Her hips met his every thrust. He pressed kisses to her neck and wrapped her long hair through his fingers.

It felt better than he had imagined it would.

"Harder," she urged him and it was almost too much for him to take as he did what she wanted. Charlie gripped her hips tightly in his hands and pulled her with each thrust into him.

Adair panted and moaned beneath him, feeling the all consuming wave of climax about to crash over her. Her back arched into him. Her insides felt like warm, dripping honey. And then she cried out, just as he bit her shoulder and groaned, going limp.

ooooOoooo

Charlie woke the next morning before Adair. Sunlight was creeping through the window and landing right on the huge bed where he was sprawled out. He registered where he was, but still wasn't sure that he wasn't dreaming. Images from what was either the night before or a very intense dream replayed in his mind as he put an arm over his eyes to hide from the light.

He rolled onto his side so he could see Adair and he let out the breath he had been holding when fearing that it had all been a dream.

She was still sleeping soundly on her stomach. The sheet was slung low across her hips and her blonde hair was fanned out around her.

In the few months since he had met her, he had never seen her so at peace. In public places, her brow was always furrowed just a little bit and her guard was up causing her mouth to be drawn.

The two times he had seen her play, she was fierce, her face stony and impassive even when she scored a goal or England won. She never seemed to give herself over even to the celebrations.

In her sleep, she actually looked like she was twenty-three and he realized just how young she was.

A smile played at his lips as he brushed the hair away from her face and then let his fingers linger on the scar on her cheek. It didn't mar her features at all, in fact he thought it rather added to them.

Adair took a deep breath as her eyes fluttered open. She smiled softly at Charlie.

And then the smile turned to panic. "Bloody hell! What time is it?" She demanded wildly as she stood and flung the sheet from her, pulling her jeans over her long, lean legs in one fluid motion.

She searched frantically for the rest of her clothes. Snatching up her wand from the bedside table, she sent her things flying into her bag.

"Well past noon." Charlie sat up. "You won yesterday. Surely you don't have a practice," he said.

"Not practice, but we have to watch the film," she said, tugging her black t-shirt over her head and pulling her hair back into a messy bun on top of her head.

Charlie chuckled.

"Is this funny to you?" she demanded, turning to him only briefly before she was pulling her trainers on.

"Surely you can miss film."

Such a thing would have never crossed her mind. "This is my job," she said.

"Everyone takes a sick day now and then."

Adair shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I'm not sick."

"Stay here. Just for a day or two. I know you don't have another match for like a week. You could miss a practice."

"No. I can't do that." She wouldn't make eye contact with him as she disappeared into the bathroom to gather the rest of her things.

Charlie pulled his briefs on and followed her. "Your body could use the rest," he said as he wrapped his arms around her trim waist.

"Knock it off," she said shortly. "I have to get back to England."

"Who would ever know you were lying?" he asked, tightening his grip on her. "Who would punish you?"

Adair instantly flashed back to the one and only time she had skipped a practice or training session and the punishment that had resulted when her parents found out.

She had wanted to spend her Saturday at Hogsmeade like the rest of her classmates, but the private trainer her parents had hired was at Hogwarts to spend the day with her so she wouldn't be able to. She decided to try and sneak into the village anyway.

She hadn't been halfway down the drive off of school grounds when her mother's owl found her and dropped a Howler before her. Of course she couldn't hide it when it burnt up and her mother's voice came booming out, echoing across the grounds, screaming that she was ungrateful to her parents after all of the money they spent to make her into the player she was and the player she was to become. Her mother's voice pointed out all the mistakes she had made in her last match and so she really had no business skipping a private session when she had so much improving to do.

Adair didn't shed a single tear. Without a word to any of her classmates she turned around and headed for the castle. Her trainer was gone by then so she took her broom and a Quaffle onto the pitch to practice by herself until long after the sun had set.

That had been in her third year. Since that day she had never missed a training session and she had never been to Hogsmeade.

"No one," she said quietly. She was a grown woman and no one monitored her or reported back to her parents anymore.

"Then stay with me," Charlie said quietly. "Just for another couple of days."

Adair looked up at him, still uncertain he could tell.

"I want to show you the sanctuary." He bent and kissed her lips so softly she wasn't sure it had happened. "I think you'd like it."

She wanted to go, more than anything she wanted to be the type of person who would go with Charlie Weasley and see the dragons. But the person she actually was pushed against that idea.

There was a fierce internal battle raging just below her surface. No one would bat an eye at her missing a practice. Since she had started she was the only teammate who hadn't missed anything. Most of her teammates missed practice for nothing more than a hangover and Coach Williams didn't bat an eye.

Adair sighed, exhausted from arguing with herself. "Alright, but I need to tell Oliver."

Charlie nodded, going back into the bedroom to finish dressing. When he turned back to the bathroom a flash of silver shot of the door and he just barely had time to notice that her Patronus was a panther. He wondered what she thought of to conjure her Patronus.

Adair slung her bag over her shoulder. "Ready?"

Charlie nodded and took her hand. They had to leave the hotel to Apparate to protect the guests, especially the foreign Quidditch players.

They made their way to a dirty, dark alley and with a POP! they were gone.

As soon as Adair steadied herself, she heard the roaring of dragons and she wasn't sure, but the ground might have been shaking under feet.

"You get used to that," Charlie said with a laugh.

Adair looked up at him and she couldn't help but smile.

"Come on," he said. "I'll show you my place." He led her off into the woods and they eventually came to a cluster of very small cabins. Charlie made his way to the one on the far right. "It's not much," he said, a flush creeping up his neck.

They went up the stairs and Charlie opened the door to a small living room and tiny kitchen. "The bedroom is through there," he said, taking her bag from her and tossing it on his bed. "The whole thing could probably fit in your dining room."

"Well there aren't any dragons at my place, though."

Charlie laughed. "I suppose that's true. It's quite a real estate feature."

"I really like it," Adair said as she walked around. She was surprised to see that he had a few framed photos. Most men didn't have much decor at all in their homes she had found.

There was a group photo of his whole family in their Christmas sweaters from when they were younger. Another one depicted Charlie and a large, green dragon. The animal had its tail wrapped around Charlie's waist and seemed quite friendly.

"Am I allowed to see them?" Adair asked, straightening up and looking at Charlie.

"Of course. We have some new Chinese Fireball hatchlings," he offered.

Adair nodded.

Charlie happily led her back toward the paddocks, but instead of heading to see the larger dragons, he led her into a larger cabin type building.

"This is probably a silly question, but all of these wooden buildings are fireproof aren't they?" Adair asked as she stepped through the doorway.

Charlie looked taken aback. "Bloody hell, I'm not sure they are." He then broke out into a smile. "Of course they are."

Adair punched his arm lightly and then turned her attention to the building they were in. It smelled of rich fertilizer. The whole room was filled with terrariums, large glass structures with various habitats in them.

Charlie took her hand and led her to one in the middle of the building. There were lots of flowers; peonies and gardenias and lush green bushes. When they got closer, Adair could see that there tiny, scarlet dragons crawling throughout the plants.

"We nicked these off of a dragon dealer in Morocco," Charlie said. He reached over the edge of the glass case and lifted one of the babies into his hands. It scuttled around quickly and he had to keep moving his hands to keep it in place.

Adair had never seen anything like the baby dragon. She had seen them from afar during her fourth year TriWizard Tournament, but she'd never been so close to one.

The little Chinese Fireball was scarlet and it looked smooth, but there was a burst of scales and spikes around its face and it had protruding eyes.

"Do you want to try?" Charlie asked, holding his hands out.

Adair nodded eagerly and he deposited the little beast into her hands. She wasn't quite quick enough though, and it quickly made its way up her arm to her shoulder.

Charlie moved to grab it, but Adair shook her head and held him off. "It's alright." She giggled as it sniffed at her neck and then began to rustle about at the bottom of the bun she wore. "Is this one a boy or a girl?"

"That one is a boy."

"Does he have a name?"

"Not that I know of. Would you like to give him one?"

"Can I?" She burst out laughing as the dragon snuffled around near her ear.

Charlie couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure you can."

Adair thought for a minute. "How about Winston?"

"Winston?" Charlie snorted. "You know one day he'll be a full grown, fire breathing dragon, don't you?"

"I do, but I think it's adorable."

"Winston it is then," Charlie said with a sigh.

Winston settled down on her left shoulder and went to chewing on a lock of her hair that had come loose.

"Charlie!"

Charlie turned to see his mate, Sandor.

"Have you recruited a new dragonologist?"

Charlie shook his head and began to rub the back of his neck.

"Not exactly. Sandor, this is Adair Wood."

"Adair Wood. Adair Wood?" he repeated her name in his accented English, obviously having heard it before. "The Quidditch player?!" He turned to his friend.

"In the flesh," Adair said, reaching her hand out.

"My name is Sandor," he said, shaking her hand vigorously. "Some of our colleagues have posters of you in their cabins."

"Sandor!" Charlie exclaimed, shaking his head at his friend.

Adair laughed. "I suppose that's what the photos are taken for."

Charlie swiped a hand over his face, which was bright red.

"I might myself, but you beat our Romanian team yesterday. I can't support that."

Adair laughed once more, quite taken with the short, dark man before her and his sense of humor. Mostly she was amused at how distraught Charlie was.

"It wasn't easy," she said, indicating the still pink scar on her cheek.

Charlie plucked Winston from Adair's shoulder. "Think you could keep this to yourself, Sandor?" he asked.

"Oh of course. You know me. My lips are sealed."

Charlie rolled his eyes as he guided Adair back out of the building. "The whole sanctuary will know you're here in half an hour."

Adair shrugged, though she was a bit put out. Even when she thought privacy might be possible, it wasn't.

"Let's go back to my cabin and hide out the rest of the day," Charlie suggested, noting her mood.

Adair nodded.

There was still a chill in the air and so Adair was grateful when Charlie lit a fire. He then settled on the small, worn out sofa and gestured for her to join him.

"It's so cool that you do this," Adair said when she settled against his side and drew a blanket over them both.

Something settled over her and it was such an unfamiliar feeling that at first she had trouble placing it. Finally, it came to her. Peace. She felt at peace, content, comfortable. It was so completely foreign to her that at first she wanted to push against it, to go back to her normal life, but when Charlie wrapped his arm around her shoulders and stroked her upper arm, she decided it wasn't so bad.

"Says the professional Quidditch player," he laughed.

Adair shook her head. "Not quite the same."

They settled into a comfortable silence. Charlie didn't seem to feel the need to fill it and Adair never did in those situations, but she knew when people were babbling on in order to make up for her silence.

They just sat there listening to the fire crackle and pop.

The sun was setting before Adair knew it and she blinked awake. "You didn't have to stay there the whole time. You could've woken me up."

"It seemed like you needed it and I enjoyed it," Charlie said. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Adair said drowsily.

"Well what are you?" Charlie asked.

Without a word, Adair stretched up and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. She pushed his jacket off of his shoulders and when he was free of it, he hauled her so she was lying across his lap. He cradled her to him and kissed her softly.

As they tried to undress and get situated on the sofa, they went tumbling to the floor, Adair underneath Charlie. She quickly peeled her clothes off as he did the same. He then began kissing from her throat to her hips, making her toes curl in anticipation.

When his mouth closed over her, she thought she might scream from the sheer pleasure.

Charlie's hair had mostly come undone and she twined her fingers through the red locks.

Just as her thighs were tightening around him, he broke away and moved level with her, slowly slipping inside her.

Adair moaned. Charlie moved with little urgency and he watched as her green eyes fluttered close. His hand trailed over her breasts and bumped along her ribs. He nibbled at her ear and kissed down her throat.

"Harder," she said again.

"No," he replied.

Her eyes opened and she stared up at him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Taking my time," he said softly. "Enjoying you."  
Adair sighed and closed her eyes again, trying to go somewhere else.

He kissed her softly again, continuing with his slow movements.

"Open your eyes," he murmured into her ear. When she did, he buried his hand in her blonde hair and looked down at her.

She wouldn't have thought it possible before the sensuality in the very slowness brought her to the edge. Her fingernails dug into his back and she buried her face in his shoulder as once more she spasmed and cried out.

She felt Charlie smile against her neck as she laid beneath him, enjoying the sensation of pure pleasure and release.

His pace picked up then and he was soon lying next to, breathing heavily and tracing circles on her arm.

After a long moment, he shifted. "Now I'm starving and you're going to eat too," Charlie said, standing and pulling his jeans on. He went to the kitchen with nothing else on. Adair tried not to stare at how low they hung on his hips.

For the first time, she had the time to truly study him. There was more than just the large burn on his shoulder. His torso was covered in scars and shiny burns. He also had several tattoos. The arm that wasn't burnt had a nearly complete sleeve. She spotted a dragon, roses,and a snitch among others. There was some space left bare on his forearm.

He stood before the open refrigerator as he re-tied his hair back away from his face in a bun.

"I don't think you should ever let your mother cut your hair," Adair said with a smile as she watched him.

"No? Well maybe you'll want to get in front of her scissors the next time I'm home," he chuckled.

"On second thought…"

It seemed like an invitation of sorts, that Charlie thought whatever they were doing might continue and Adair's stomach clenched up at the idea.

"What do you like to eat?" he asked from the kitchen. "I can make just about anything."

Adair shrugged. "My meals usually consist of a glass of firewhiskey and a piece of fruit if I've got it on hand." She looked up at him.

Charlie looked at her, perplexed. "Alright, so you're not much of a cook. What did your mum cook you when you were little that you loved?"

"My mum?" Adair repeated. Charlie nodded at her encouragingly.

Adair shook her head and looked away. "She wasn't around much. She played for Scotland until after I went to school."

Charlie's brow furrowed as he studied her. "What about your dad? Could he cook?"

Once more, she shook her head. "I'll eat anything," she said quickly with more force than she intended.

They were silent for a minute.

"Do you mind if I grab a shower while you do that?"

"Towels are in the cupboard," he replied, indicating the closet with his wand.

He shook his head when Adair disappeared. She was difficult to get to know, but when she did share anything he understood why she might want to keep it to herself.

Charlie couldn't imagine having a mother who was never home. Mrs. Weasley was the epitome of a homemaker. She had poured love into everything she had ever done for her family and he was nearly certain that Adair did not come from such a home.

The water was scorching her skin and she didn't care. Often it was how she coped with thoughts of her mother or her childhood. It was one of the ways in which she knew how to transfer pain to the physical.

When she came out of the bathroom in baggy sweats and another black t-shirt, Charlie was guiding a pie pan onto his small kitchen table.

"It smells good," she said quietly.

"I thought shepherds pie might work on this chilly day," he said with a gentle smile.

Adair sat across from him and took the plate that floated toward her.

"Tuck in then," Charlie said when he sat down as well.

Adair chuckled, but diligently took a bite. "This is amazing," she said.

"I'm glad," Charlie replied with a smile. He shovelled the food into his mouth and had a second helping. When he took a breath and looked up, Adair was seemingly done after half a portion.

He tried not to say anything. He didn't want to push her after what she had said about her mother.

They spent the evening quietly. It felt like they had spent many such evenings together. The radio played quietly in the background and they spoke here and there, but not constantly.

"I have an early morning with a Horntail tomorrow," Charlie said quietly. "But then we can do whatever you like after that." He stood to go to bed.

"This?" Adair asked, quietly.

Charlie smiled, it was almost sad, down at her. Most people wouldn't have been content to just lie around, but Adair's life was nonstop motion. Everything passed her by in a blur of matches and travelling and interviews and photographs.

"Sure, "he agreed. He held out a rough hand and pulled her to her feet, leading her to his bedroom.

He was conscious of the fact that the bed was much smaller than the one they had slept in the night before in the hotel in Bucharest. Adair didn't say anything as she slipped under the soft, well-worn covers. Immediately, she rolled onto her side, her back to Charlie.

Charlie settled gently next to her as she pulled her knees to her chest, nearly rolling herself into a ball. After a minute, he rolled as well and wrapped himself around her from behind.

"Thanks for coming out here, Adair," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck.

"Thanks for persuading me," she murmured, a smile on her lips as she fell asleep.

ooooOoooo

When Adair woke the next morning, Charlie was gone. She rolled over to where he had slept and inhaled deeply the scent of his pillow. It smelled like the cologne he wore, but muted and tinted with the scent of sleep.

She rose and brushed her teeth, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, slipped back into her jeans and black t-shirt. A zippered sweatshirt of Charlie's was lying on the back of a kitchen chair and she shrugged into it as she left the cabin.

As Adair got nearer to the paddocks, she could hear a ferocious roaring and she made her way toward it.

The paddock was a tall metal cage, but she was the perfect height to stare though two of the rungs.

First she saw the Horntail, black as night and angry. Not thinking, she walked up to the paddock and watched the proceedings. Charlie, Sandor, and several other men were yelling back and forth trying to calm the beast.

The smell of sulphur overwhelmed Adair as the dragon breathed fire over and over again. It whirled around and she caught a glimpse of its shockingly yellow eyes. Its gaze locked on her and she couldn't look away. It was the most incredible thing she had ever seen.

"Adair!" She heard Charlie's voice.

The enraged dragon reared back and she ducked quickly, hitting the ground on the other side of the paddock. Sheets of flames blew over her head and even though she wasn't hit by them, she felt their blazing heat.

"Adair!" Charlie shouted her name again and she peeked above the paddock, showing that she was alright.

"This one's got to go to sleep, boys! She's too wild!" Sandor called and at once they all used a charm that caused the dragon to collapse into a deep sleep.

Charlie sprinted to Adair, heart pounding in his chest. It had taken everything in him not to leave his post when he first caught sight of her.

"Are you alright?" he demanded, gripping her upper arms tightly and looking her over.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile, not nearly as fazed by the whole thing as Charlie was.

"It's not funny," he said rather sharply. He took a deep breath. "You're lucky you have Quidditch reflexes or you'd probably be dead."

"Probably," she agreed, grinning up at him.

Charlie shook his head as Adair pulled her ponytail over her shoulder.

"I did lose about seven centimeters of hair." She studied the singed ends of her ponytail and Charlie couldn't help but laugh, draping his arm over her shoulders and guiding her back to his cabin.

"You didn't have to put her to sleep because of me, did you?" she asked quietly.

"No," Charlie replied. "Sometimes you have to do that when they just won't calm down. It was a rough morning."

ooooOoooo

"Please tell us you weren't actually sick," Jasmine said the following Saturday when they Apparated from the practice pitch onto a dirty side street in London after a brutal practice.

"Please tell us you were holed up with that gorgeous dragon wrangler," Sienna said.

Adair laughed. Before she could answer, both girls gasped and she looked up from her jacket that she had been zipping up, shocked at what she saw.

"Bloody hell, speak of the devil! There he is!"

And there was Charlie Weasley in his leather jacket leaning against a brick wall that separated a townhouse from the street. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and he was smiling at her.

"Bloody hell, he is dreamy," Jasmine breathed as Adair left their sides to go to him.

Charlie straightened up and draped an arm over her shoulder after taking her gym bag from her and slinging it over is own shoulder. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear that the girls couldn't hear and then they were on their way back to Adair's apartment.

* * *

I hope you loved it! I really enjoyed writing this one! **I need cute, fluffy ideas for these two for the next couple of chapters for these guys so help me out!**

I love to hear any and all thoughts except hate comments and flames. Let me know what you think so far. I think I'm really getting into a stride with these characters. I hope you think so too.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	6. Chapter 6

Here you go! Not much to say about this update. There's more drama than there has been before. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six

"I thought we were going to write to each other," Adair said when they were safely in her flat.

"Well I had a rare weekend where I wasn't chosen to be on call so I thought I'd visit you," Charlie said with a grin, stooping over and pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

He dropped Adair's gym bag to the floor and pulled her flush against his firm body.

"Just couldn't resist?" Adair asked, pulling away and lifting her bag onto her shoulder and heading for her bedroom. She hated for anything to be out of place even for a minute.

When Charlie had visited her flat the first time, he had really only seen the kitchen and dining room. He took it all in as they made their way down the impossibly long corridor to Adair's room. The whole place was mostly white and the decorations were sterile, fitting in with the modern theme of the place. It looked like a staged flat that might be shown to potential renters or buyers. There was nothing that indicated who exactly lived there.

The bedroom had fluffy white carpet and a huge bed with white covers and pillows, though the frame was pitch black as were the two dressers and small armchair in the corner.

"This is...homey,"

"I'm hardly ever here," Adair said as she waved her wand in the direction of her gym bag and things went flying into the dirty clothes hamper and into her closet. She turned back to him and sat on the edge of the bed.

Charlie stepped toward her and stood in between her legs. He pulled the elastic from the end of her braid and then ran his his fingers through her fair hair. It was damp at the roots from her practice.

He bent over her and kissed her once more. Adair's hands travelled under his t-shirt, bumping over his muscles and scars as they went. They made their way back down, dipping into his jeans.

Charlie sighed against her lips. He shrugged out his leather jacket and kicked his boots off.

Adair let him pull her sweaty t-shirt over her head and then push her back on the mattress. Charlie lifted each of her feet and removed her knee-high Quidditch boots.

"I need a shower," she said weakly, as his hands travelled up her thighs, tugging at the waist of her spandex leggings when they got there.

"You really will in about half an hour so you may want to wait."

He bent over her and kissed her neck, tasting the salt on her skin from the sweat. He licked the column of her throat and then kissed down to her navel, fingers toying with her underwear, before pushing them down.

Charlie straightened and grasped her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed. He quickly did away with his jeans, practically ripping his jumper over his head.

It had been little more than a week since they had slept together for the first time, but he was just as excited and wanted her just as badly as he had then.

His grip on her hips tightened when he drew her around him. He let out a deep groan of pure pleasure and then began to move.

Adair gasped at the sensation of being so filled. Her fists gripped the comforter beneath her and her back arched off the bed.

When she opened her eyes, she couldn't take them off of Charlie. The last thing she normally wanted in bed was eye contact, but she found herself unable to look away. If she did, it was only to look at his body and to drink in the thick muscles, scars, burns and tattoos.

Charlie bent back over her, framing her head with his forearms and raking his hands through her tangled, sweaty hair.

"Adair," he moaned her name.

His breath on her neck and his husky voice very nearly took her over the edge. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper until they were both in a frenzy from being so close.

Adair bit his chest to muffle her cry of ecstasy and after a few more seconds, Charlie groaned, tightening his grip in her hair before rolling so he was lying next to her.

"So what are you going to cook this time?" Adair asked with a mischievous smile when they were catching their breath. She rolled and rested her head on his shoulder, tracing the lines of his tattoos on his arm.

"Whatever you like," Charlie responded, pressing a kiss to her temple. His large, rough hand stroked her hair.

"What about the pasta you made the first time?"

They both knew she'd have about two bites of it, but if that's what she wanted, Charlie would make it.

He shifted out from underneath her and stood, pulling his briefs back on. Adair propped herself up on an elbow and looked up at him.

"Why don't you take a bath?" he suggested, pulling his hair back.

Adair nodded. "That sounds really nice."

Charlie bent over and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. "You'd better hurry or I'm not going to let you out of this bed."

Adair scrambled out from underneath him and made her way to her white marble bathroom. He shook his head and made his way to the kitchen. He remembered his way around the kitchen and began cooking. Luckily she had the few ingredients needed.

When he was nearly through, he uncorked a bottle of red wine he found on top of Adair's refrigerator and poured two glasses. He made sure the pasta would stay warm and then he headed back through the sterile flat to her bathroom.

Adair's head was resting on the lip of the huge tub that was built into the wall. Her green eyes blinked open when she heard the door open. He stood for a long moment staring down at her.

Charlie stripped down once more and then set the two glasses of wine on the floor. Without a word, he slipped into the tub and settled in between Adair's long, lean legs.

A small smile crossed Adair's face as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he leaned his head back on her shoulder. She reached down for the wine glass and took a long drink.

"This is peaceful," she said quietly.

Charlie didn't say anything for a while. He wondered how often she was able to snatch a few moments to herself.

"It is," he agreed, taking a sip from his own glass of wine. He tried to remember the last peaceful moment he had to himself. It seemed between being a dragonologist and the thoughts he had since meeting Adair, his life was rarely peaceful either. He ran his free hand over the smooth leg that was wrapped around him and found himself wishing that they would never have to leave the tub. Her chest rose and fell gently against his back, nearly lulling him to sleep.

Charlie felt Adair's fingers in his hair and she let the bun down. He sank down a little deeper in the huge tub and soaked his entire head. Adair reached for her shampoo and lathered it in her hands before massaging it into his scalp and long, thick hair.

"That feels so good," he murmured blissfully.

Adair had never been in such a position. No one had ever surprised her like Charlie had, just wanting to spend time together. And if they had, Adair wasn't interested. She had never thought of herself as the bubble bath with a partner type. She had always known what she wanted and she got it quickly and then was done. The few days she had spent in Romania with Charlie had been the longest stretch of time that she'd ever spent with anyone besides her family and teammates. She preferred to be alone.

Or so she had thought.

With those revelations came a sense of rising anxiety in her chest. She pushed Charlie back under the water to rinse his hair a little more roughly than she had intended.

"There you go!" she said too loudly. It sounded out of place after the minimal talking they had done.

She moved quickly out from behind him, sloshing water onto the tiled floor as she stepped out of the tub.

Charlie had to grasp either side of the tub to right himself after her abrupt movements. He looked up at her as she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel, back to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, going back to the quiet tones they had been using.

"Yeah. I was just turning into a prune and the water was getting cold."

Charlie didn't say anything, but he assumed she had used a charm to keep the water hot. As he continued to sit in the bath after she left the room. The water had lost none of its heat. He leaned his head back on the lip of the tub and closed his eyes.

Adair had reacted similarly in Romania when had had tried to discuss her mother and cooking. It puzzled him greatly, but he wasn't sure how to broach the topic or even put into words what was troubling him.

They had been so close just moments before, enjoying a tranquil moment with each other and then she had gotten restless. Or maybe she had panicked. He didn't know. He didn't move to get up either. He wasn't sure what he would say if he faced her right then.

Adair changed into her comfiest sweatpants and a heavy jumper. Even after the hot bath she was chilled.

Walking into her kitchen, she refilled her wine glass nearly to the brim and inhaled deeply the scent of the pasta simmering on the stove in its fragrant tomato sauce. It was probably the second time her kitchen had been used for cooking.

With a flick of her wand, two bowls floated down from the cabinet next to the stove. With another flick, one filled with pasta.

Without waiting for Charlie, she took the bowl and her goblet of wine into her living and sat down on the plush sofa.

She took a bite and it was heavenly, just like she remembered.

Charlie hadn't emerged from her bedroom yet and she was glad. Adair needed a moment to herself. It was like she was living in some sort of alternate reality. She knew people did the things she had just done, but she hadn't ever expected to be a part of them.

"You're living life on the edge eating red pasta sauce on your white couch," Charlie said when he joined her in the living room, wearing nothing but his underwear.

Adair set her half full bowl on the end table next to her and picked up her glass of wine. "What can I say?"

"You don't eat your dinner at the table?" Charlie asked.

Adair shook her head. "The first and only time was the last time you were here."

Charlie nodded, collecting more facts about her. Even when he was alone he sat at his rough-hewn table. Some habits would never die.

"You can try it. Really live life on the edge."

Charlie raised one eyebrow and then stood. A moment later, he was back with his own heaping bowl of pasta and glass of wine.

"How wild do you feel right now?" Adair asked him.

"This may be the wildest thing I've ever done."

Adair snorted.

"What's the wildest thing you've ever done?" Charlie asked.

 _This_ , she though. Instead she said, "We don't have to swap stories. A dragonologist and Quidditch player. We could probably go on all night."

"Besides the dragons, my life is pretty normal," Charlie said.

"And I'm too busy to get into too much trouble," Adair agreed. "Except one time when I was playing in America, we played a game in Los Angeles and just got blind drunk afterwards and we moved the Hollywood sign. Not far. Just about a pitch's length from where it was to start. The muggles were quite alarmed the next morning, but we were back in Texas by then."

Charlie laughed so hard he had to set his wine down for fear of spilling it on the white armchair he sat in.

"That is fairly wild," Charlie said when he gathered himself.

Adair shrugged. "Things were different in Texas."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," she said. "Nothing was as serious there. We didn't practice as much or have as many games. No one was bothering us. It felt more normal than life here does, I guess."

"I'm sure it did," Charlie said. He had hesitated to speak, not wanting to interrupt her if she was going to continue. He knew it was rare for Adair to give up any information and so when she did he wanted to encourage her without him chattering over her.

Adair shrugged again. "Oh well. Life moves on." She went silent again and rose taking her wine glass with her. She pulled her wand out of the waistband of her sweats and the dishes followed her into the kitchen.

He heard the water running and then the dishes putting themselves back into the cabinet. A minute later, Adair came back with a full glass of wine and another bottle. She tucked her legs underneath her as she sat back on the sofa.

Charlie rose and joined her, pulling her so her body molded against his. He held his empty glass out to her and she refilled it without a word.

"I'm really glad we got to do this, Adair," he said quietly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

He expected a sarcastic remark in reply, but Adair laid her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. "So am I. I don't feel like I have to be someone else in front of you."

"Of course you don't," Charlie murmured, holding her a little tighter. "I hope you never feel like that around me."

Something in his heart ached for her, thinking of the different masks she wore every time she walked out of her door.

"You had the right idea," she said. "Disappear to the forest of Romania."

"It's not too late for you," he said with the lightest of laughs.

"I never had a chance for anything like that. I was born to two believers of Quidditch predestination. The only thing my parents didn't know was which team I'd end up playing for."

"Surely you must enjoy it a little bit," he said, not sure how a person could do something they hated for so long.

"Surely," she replied flatly, emptying what was a full glass of wine in one go.

"You don't have to keep playing," Charlie said.

"It's not that simple," she responded, a bit agitated.

Charlie nodded, though she wasn't looking at him. "Alright. I'm sorry."

Adair sighed. "Some things just are what they are." Adair gestured at the beautiful room around them. "And besides, I get to live like this."

Her voice got louder and Charlie could sense that she was a little, if not completely, drunk.

"And that makes you happy?"

She didn't respond immediately, taking another long drink from her glass. Charlie wanted to suggest she put her glass down, but he didn't imagine that that would go well for him. It was also the first time she'd really come close to opening up and he didn't want that to stop.

"Shouldn't it?"

"I don't know what should make you happy, Adair, I really don't." He wanted to completely enfold her in his embrace, to protect her from whatever was happening, but it seemed to be inside of her.

"I don't either," she said quietly. He couldn't be sure, but Charlie thought he saw her hand quickly wipe at her eyes.

"Hey," Charlie whispered, trying to turn her chin to face him. She fought him at first, but finally she looked up and her eyes were welling. "Do I make you happy, Adair?"

She gave him a watery smile and nodded. "The happiest actually. I don't remember ever feeling like this in my entire life. You're really all I think about."

Charlie sat there, shocked into silence. Adair looked away once more, a bit embarrassed that she'd spoken so openly.

"I know the feeling," he finally said. "I got burnt pretty badly because I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"I'm sorry," Adair said with a small smile.

"It was worth it," Charlie replied."Definitely worth it."

"My coach thinks I've been hit with a bludger a few too many times," Adair said. "I can't focus on anything anymore. Oliver is all over me to get my shit together"

Charlie couldn't help but grin. The last thing he had expected after months of whatever it was they'd been doing was a confession of how much Adair liked him. He felt like a giddy schoolboy all over again.

"Try not to get hit with any bludgers. I like you intact and healthy," he said, pulling her so she sort of laid on his chest.

"How else do you like me?" she asked lowly, stretching up and brushing her lips against his ear.

He tasted the wine on her lips when he turned his head to kiss her, hands running under her shirt to cup her breasts, bumping along her ribs as they went. "Naked," he murmured.

Adair happily obliged him and stripped herself down to nothing before she straddled his lap. Charlie drank her in appreciatively, hands resting on her hips.

"You are incredibly sexy," he breathed, pulling her down to kiss her, tongue begging for entrance. He didn't bother to remove his own clothes, just pushed his underwear down enough so that he could then lift Adair up and onto him. It had been a mere few hours since he had last had her and still the feeling consumed him. Her hips ground against his and her head fell back, eyes closing.

"Bloody hell," he breathed when her pace picked up. Adair was gripping the back of his neck hard, panting as she moved with more of a purpose.

When she tugged on his hair and cried out his name, Charlie couldn't think of a time he had ever experienced so much pleasure. Of course there had been other women, not many, but a few and it had never felt like it did with Adair.

She slumped onto his chest, breathing heavily.

Charlie pressed a kiss into her fair hair. Her warm body pressed against his nearly put him to sleep where they were wedged on the sofa.

"Come on." He lifted Adair's naked body and headed toward her bedroom. She pulled the covers back and he deposited her on the plush bed. It enveloped her like a cloud. He joined her on the other side.

"How am I ever supposed to go back to my bed after sleeping in this?" he sighed with a laugh as he too sank into the bed.

Adair rolled against his side once more, pressing a kiss to his chest. "You could stay here."

"Don't tempt me."

As she grew tired, Adair did not roll onto her side and pull her knees to her chest. Instead, she pressed herself against Charlie's side, using his shoulder as a pillow. She gave a contented sigh as his fingers ran through her long hair that she had undone.

After she fell asleep, Charlie laid there thinking over the entire day and the shifts in Adair's mood. It had been like almost every time he'd seen her, but when he thought of her confession of how she felt about him, he couldn't help but smile even if there was the tiniest bit of doubt in the back of his mind.

From the light cast by the streetlamp outside of Adair's flat, he could just barely make out her features. He was, once again, struck by how peaceful she looked while she slept on him. All night, there had been a furrow between her brows even when she was smiling or laughing. It seemed to only go away when she slept.

ooooOoooo

Adair usually had Sundays off from practice and so the two of them stayed in her flat, not leaving. They subsisted on what little food she had in her flat, though that wasn't their top priority. They didn't talk nearly as much as they had the night before and instead made love in nearly every room of her large flat.

That night they fell asleep in a tangled, sweaty mess very late.

The next morning, Charlie was up and frantically gathering his things.

"You should've left last night," Adair said as she pulled on her practice leggings and a sports bra.

"I couldn't," he said with a groan. He paused and walked over to her as she was pulling a t-shirt on. His hands slipped under the band of the spandex pants, pulling her tightly against him. He couldn't help but to press himself against her firm backside. "I don't want to now." He kissed her neck and nipped at her earlobe.

"Knock it off," Adair laughed. "We're both going to be late."

Charlie grudgingly went back to packing his few things.

"I"m not sure when I'll see you again," he said, lingering in her doorway, bag slung over his shoulder.

"We'll figure it out," she promised. She gave him one last kiss before they were both out the door and heading their separate ways to Apparate to work.

ooooOoooo

Adair had never been much of a letter writer. She had never really written to her parents unless it was a Howler about how poorly she had performed. After school, there weren't too many people she cared to keep in touch with outside of Ginny and between them both having Quidditch careers for a spell and then Ginny becoming a reporter, there wasn't much time for letter writing. They made the meals and drinks they shared count when they saw each other.

But she found herself writing multiple letters a week to Charlie and he did the same. They relayed the most mundane details of their days. Adair wrote of how she was looking forward to the season being over when she might have some more time to visit him, since he was tied up at the refuge. It had been a fluke that he had the one weekend off so soon, but he was constantly on call. They were bringing more and more animals to Romania and he was very busy.

The Quidditch season was picking up as it was only a few months away from the World Cup. England had a very real chance of going and Oliver was ecstatic that the team was doing so well. He took on his old Captain mentality and drove everyone else crazy during practices and before and after games.

She had never wished for their off-season so much in her professional life. After the weekend they had spent together, she found it nearly unbearable to be subsisting on letters back and forth.

One of the first games they travelled for after Charlie's weekend in London, was to Hungary. Adair had written that she wished she was able to visit him, but immediately after the game in Hungary they were heading to Denmark for a game the next day. She hated to be so close to him, but not get to see him.

The game was uneventful. England won easily and Adair and the other Chasers went to the locker room.

"I hate when we don't get to go home," Sienna said.

The other two nodded in agreement. There were a few times during the season when they had games slo close together that it wasn't feasible to go home. Even with Apparition, their coach liked them to stay in the Quidditch headspace and not lapse so they went to a hotel in the next city.

Adair was putting her shoes on when she heard Oliver yelling through the women's locker room door.

"Adair! Get out here!"

"I'm going to kill him," she told Jasmine and Sienna. They weren't positive she was joking and they didn't blame her.

"What do you want? You don't need to be-" she cut off mid-sentence when she saw who was standing behind Oliver.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, practically leaping into Charlie's arms.

Oliver stood back, shocked at his sister's reaction. He had never seen her show nearly that much excitement.

"I had to see you while you were so close," Charlie said, setting her on her feet and framing her face with his huge, rough hands. He placed a sound kiss on her lips, neither one caring that Oliver was still standing there gawking at the pair.

"I missed you," Adair said quietly, her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, head pressed to his chest.

"I don't have a lot of time. Sandor is covering for me for a few hours," Charlie said, holding her at arm's length. "You played great! That last goal!"

Adair shook her head. She didn't want to talk about Quidditch if he had to run off.

She glanced at her brother. "Oliver, get out of here."

He lingered for another half second before he slowly made his way back to the men's locker room, glancing over his shoulder before he disappeared.

"You didn't have to do this," Adair said, though she was ridiculously glad that he had.

"I know," he said, kissing her once more.

Jasmine and Sienna came out of the locker room, giving girlish giggles when they saw who Adair was with and why her brother had been yelling for her.

She slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "The locker room is empty," she said in a low voice.

"Adair," Charlie said with a laugh.

"Surely you didn't come all this way when you should be working just for a few kisses." She let her fingers dip beneath the waistband.

"I certainly didn't come here with any intentions. I just wanted to watch you play and maybe see you for a quick minute."

"So noble," Adair said with a laugh. "I really can't wait for the season to be over. Then I'll have some time and can visit you."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Hey Adair. The portkey is ready," Jasmine said, poking her head back around the corner.

"Good luck in Denmark. I'll be listening," Charlie promised with another deep kiss. He sighed when Adair pulled away and went hustling around the corner to join her team.

ooooOoooo

When they returned to England they had a few matches at home, the last of that stretch being against Egypt, who had won the World Cup the year before. It would be the biggest match of the season for Adair and her team.

Nerves set upon her like they hadn't since her very first match with England. Charlie couldn't make it due to a very important rescue mission he was on to retrieve a few baby dragons from a known ring of traders and smugglers in Germany.

Adair wished he could be there. His presence brought her peace and the day before the match found her pacing her flat, biting her nails to the quick and trying to do small tasks to keep her mind busy, but nothing worked.

Before she even knew it she found herself knocking on Seamus' door.

"Long time no see," he said rather grudgingly when he took in Adair's presence. She moved past him and headed for his bedroom without a word.

She hadn't gone to see him since the beginning of the season. Since she and Charlie had begun seeing more of one another, she hadn't required anything of Seamus.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, closing the door behind him.

"I shouldn't? Why is that?" she asked, turning to face him and removing the ball cap she had worn.

"Aren't you with Charlie Weasley?"

"I'm not 'with' anyone," she retorted. "You know that. I've never been 'with' anyone."

"I of all people know that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked.

"Honestly?" He stepped toward her. "I hate that you're seeing someone. I wanted to date you. I've wanted to date you since we were at school, but you only ever wanted me for a distraction."

Adair raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were on the same page about this," she said. "I don't date anyone. I don't have time for it."

"That is rubbish. Your brother has the same commitments you do and he's getting married."

"That's his choice!" Adair replied, exasperated. She turned to leave. "Just forget it. Forget I was even here if this is how you're going to be. I don't need this on top of everything else."

Seamus caught her wrist and yanked her back to him, kissing her hard even though he wanted to hate her just then. He shoved her into the wall and began undressing her.

ooooOoooo

When Adair got back to her flat, she was surprised to find the kitchen light on. She never left lights on. She made her way there, wand in her hand. She had heard of other players having issues with obsessed fans. Even though she had the highest levels of protection on her flat, she was still nervous.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, when she saw the long, pulled back, red hair.

It was incredibly late and Charlie didn't look very happy when he turned around on the barstool to face her.

"I wanted to be here for the big match. Your brother let me in." He took in her appearance and his heart at once sank just as his blood began to boil. "Where have you been, Adair?"

Her hair was a wild and dishevelled mess, her lips were red and swollen, and he could see a bruise on her neck and possibly a bite mark. He could tell that she didn't have a bra on either.

"Nowhere," she replied.

"Nowhere?" Charlie asked, standing up so he towered over her. "Well it looks like you've been somewhere with someone." He stepped closer and he could smell it on her. "Were you with Seamus?"

Adair was silent for a moment. "I didn't know it wasn't allowed," she finally said.

"Allowed," Charlie scoffed. "I would've thought it was just common decency after everything we've done and said. Did our conversation the last time I was here mean nothing to you? Because it did to me. I thought we were really doing this." He paced back and forth in front of her. "Bloody hell! I removed myself from a huge rescue mission so I could come here and support you and you're out sleeping around!" He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't even remember what I said that night, Charlie!" she exclaimed, thought it was a lie. "I was drunk!"

"When aren't you drunk, Adair?" Charlie demanded, facing off to her.

Adair felt as though she'd been slapped and they stood glaring at one another before Charlie stormed out of the flat.

ooooOoooo

Charlie was back in Romania the next day, furious that he had been so foolish. There had been a doubt in the back of his mind since he had first snogged Adair in his parent's orchard. She had hardly opened up to him in all of those months and then when he thought it was really serious after his visit and seeing her in Hungary, she had slept with another man.

Since he had missed the mission the night before, he stayed in his room and turned on the radio, finding the England vs. Egypt match.

"Something is off with Adair Wood today, ladies and gentlemen, and this is not the match where you want to have an off day." the announcer said midway through the match.

Adair dropped the Quaffle, made bad passes and missed goal attempts. Charlie was rubbing his temples as he listened.

"Bloody hell that had to hurt!" the announcer exclaimed. "Adair Wood takes a Bludger to her ribcage and gets knocked off her broom. She's hanging on trying to swing back onto her seat, but you can tell she's just in agony. I bet that broke four or five ribs."

Charlie was pacing his living room and kitchen as he listened. He was holding his breath and there were tears in his eyes. He was so angry at her, but he could picture her dangling from her broom in midair and, damn it all, he still wanted to be there to help her.

"She's done it! She's back on her broom and England calls a timeout. Adair Wood hobbles into the healing tent and I don't think we'll be seeing her the rest of the match."

England barely won that day.

* * *

I hope you loved it. Nothing makes me happier than hearing your thoughts and opinions so please let me know what you thought. I'll take anything but hate comments or flames.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	7. Chapter 7

I am just loving writing this story and hearing from you all! I've decided from now on it's going to be a little more gritty. I've been writing in the LOTR universe for a long time and that has to be more refined, but these characters are in their 20s and 30s in the early 2000s and that's a whole different ballgame. I hope you enjoy the shift.

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Adair," a voice called softly into her flat. It was Katie and she knew if it was Katie that Oliver wouldn't be far behind her.

They found her in her bedroom where she had been for three days following her injury during the Egypt match. Coach Williams had given her some time to recover as she had ended up breaking five of her right ribs.

She had played in a fog that day. She wasn't sure she had ever played a worse game in her entire life. Reaching up to catch the Quaffle she had been completely unaware of her surroundings. Even as the Quaffle was coming straight for her hand from her teammate she just kept seeing Charlie's face when he had realized where'd she'd been and what she'd been doing. She shook her head, trying to get the image out of her mind. In that instance, she hadn't seen or heard the Bludger until it was too late.

"We brought you something to eat," Katie said, sitting gingerly on the edge of her bed.

Oliver stood a ways away. He hadn't spoken to his sister since before that match. He was so angry at her for almost costing them the game. Had they lost to Egypt, they would've been out of the running for the World Cup.

Adair shook her head. "It still hurts to swallow."

Oliver nodded at the two empty bottles of Firewhiskey on her bedside table. "Must not hurt too bad."  
"Fuck off, Oliver," Adair replied. Neither of them smiled.

"I can't even look at you right now," he ground out before leaving her bedroom, leaving Katie with his sister.

"He'll get over it," her soon to be sister-in-law promised.

"I could give a shit less if he does or not."

Katie flinched. Adair had a hard time remembering that Katie didn't occupy their world. Playing for Hogwarts and playing professionally were two very different matters. In Texas, she had learned that first and then again in Germany, but she was she certainly understanding the pain, frustration, and loss that came with playing professionally during her season with England.

Her brother's fiancee had always been gentle. Off the pitch at Hogwarts, she never showed any aggression. After school, she had gone into Healing and worked at St. Mungo's. Her life was very different than Adair's.

"Sorry," Adair mumbled.

"It's alright. I know you two have your differences," she said. "Can I see the damage?"

Adair nodded and lifted her t-shirt up, sucking in her breath as she did so. The bones were healing themselves, but she was still so sore.

She glanced down at the bruise that was turning a nasty green and then up at Katie.

"It's a good sign. When are you going back to practice?"

"Two days."

Katie rolled her eyes. "You need more time than that."

Adair shrugged and then cursed, sucking in her breath sharply. "Well that's what they've given me."

Katie stood up. "Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

"Thanks, Katie."

She could hear Katie scolding Oliver before the door to her flat shut.

Adair lifted her wand. "Accio Firewhiskey."

ooooOoooo

Weeks went by and she continued to play like absolute rubbish. Coach Williams summoned her for numerous conversations. After three matches where she was less than useless on the pitch, he started threatening to replace her with one of their backup Chasers.

"I know, I know," she said, putting her head in her hands, collapsing into a chair in his office.

"Every player goes through these phases, but this has been going on for a while, Adair. And we certainly can't afford it so late in the season."

"I'll get it together," she promised.

She didn't or she couldn't. They played two more games and they barely scraped along.

Oliver was furious.

Coach Williams had read in Seeker Weekly that some of the Asian teams were performing so well because they were doing yoga, so he hired a man to teach the team yoga in an attempt to get their heads right. He wouldn't say it out loud, but Adair was bringing the whole team down with her.

Watching the Beaters try to contort themselves into the very confusing poses might have been funny if Adair hadn't been in such a foul mood.

Oliver came in and unrolled his mat right next to his sister's.

The room was completely silent as they all tried to focus on their playing and how they could improve. They were supposed to visualize the World Cup as they contorted their bodies.

"What is going on with you?" Oliver hissed at Adair. They hadn't really been on speaking terms since she had continued to play worse and worse.

"Nothing. Shut up," Adair whispered back.

"Tell me because we've got to figure it out. You're playing like shit. You're going to get yourself replaced."

"Shut the hell up," she repeated.

"Hips up and back into down dog," the instructor said.

"Don't talk to me like it's my bloody fault you're a mess," Oliver snarled.

"Quiet please," the instructor said in his annoyingly calm voice.

"I'm not a mess," she shot back, ignoring the man in the front of the room.

"Well Firewhiskey isn't a potion to cure broken bones."

"I'm healed, aren't I?"

"You've got to get your shit together, Adair."

Adair glared at him as they moved into plank position and then into cobra. "You're one to talk. Now you're engaged and we have to pretend you didn't shag everything that breathed for however many years. Does she know that?"

"Back up to down dog," the instructor said.

Oliver was quiet finally.

"Make it a split down dog by lifting your right leg into the air."

"I would suggest you leave me alone if you want to keep it that way," Adair said.

"Bitch," Oliver hissed, reaching out to shove his sister onto her side while she only had three points of contact with the ground.

Adair landed hard on the ribs she had broken. They hadn't been bothering her, but the impact left her aching.

"Get out of here, you two!" Coach Williams shouted. "Figure it out in the corridor."

Oliver went first and Adair shoved him hard through the doorway.

"I know I'm playing like shit," she snarled. "Do you think I need you pointing it out?"

Oliver pushed her back when he turned around to face her. "I was hoping it might help." He sighed, taking a step away and running his hands over his shorn hair. "I haven't seen Charlie in a long time. Did something happen?"

"You can't play the caring big fucking brother card now, Oliver," Adair said, turning her back to him and rubbing her side.

"Come on." He felt bad for hurting her. "You could tell me if something did."

"Just fuck off, Oliver, alright? I don't want to talk to you!" she exclaimed.

"Well you've got to talk to somebody," he said reasonably. "And you scare the piss out of everybody else so that just leaves me."

"I fucked Seamus!" she exploded, finally turning around to face her brother.

"I know. That's not news."

"No," she shook her head. "Charlie surprised me the night before the Egypt match, or at least he intended to, but I wasn't in my flat. You let him in that night because I was at Seamus'."

"Bloody hell, Adair." Oliver just stared at her.

Her eyes started to well and she wiped at them roughly. "I ruined everything and it's probably for the best for him."

Oliver honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his sister cry. It could've been when she was little and had taken her first real spill from her broom.

He was barechested from the workout, but he pulled her against his chest anyway. "Shit," he murmured.

"I can't stop seeing how he looked at me," she whispered. "I didn't think we were exclusive or whatever."

"But you knew he thought you were," Oliver said, not letting her off easy even if she was crying.

Adair pulled away and wiped her eyes again, not looking at her brother.

"It's for the best," she repeated. "He doesn't deserve all this rubbish."

"You do have some baggage," Oliver agreed.

Adair gave a watery laugh and punched his shoulder.

"I know it was early, but you seemed to make each other happy the few time I saw you together. All I want for you is to be happy. And you've seemed pretty fucking miserable lately."

"I don't know what to do. I don't think I'm like you. I don't think I can turn it around like you did for Katie. This lifestyle. I don't know. It's hard to break out and live like the rest of the world."

"Either you do or you don't, but you have to get your shit together. We could go to the World Cup, Adair, but we're barely hanging on right now."

She nodded. While her brother was the fanatic, her life centered around the sport as well. It wasn't that she wanted to play like rubbish.

"We've got a few days before our next match. Maybe you could take a quick trip to Romania?"

"That seems risky. He obviously never wants to see me again," Adair sighed. "Can't blame him."

"You won't know that for sure until you ask him," Oliver said logically.

"What's the point? I don't think I can give him what he wants." She couldn't look at her brother.

"You have to decide that," Oliver replied. "Are you more uncomfortable now without him or with him and only him?"

"This is why I didn't want to talk to you," Adair said with a weak laugh. "You're so reasonable now. And possibly a romantic?"

Oliver laughed and gave his sister one more hug. "Possibly. Now get out of here. I'll cover for you."

ooooOoooo

The earth shook beneath her feet as she searched for Charlie. Adair tried to stay away from the enclosures, remembering what had happened the first time. She ran her fingers through her hair thinking of the singed ends after the day she spent with Charlie. A small smile crossed her face thinking of how concerned he had been for her wellbeing.

She didn't find him anywhere.

"Adair?" an accented voice called her name and she turned to see Sandor hustling after her.

"Sandor!" she exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?"

She had assumed that would be obvious, but there was something on his face. "He told you?"  
The man looked uncomfortable, but he nodded.

"I really need to talk to him."

Sandor looked away from Adair. "I assume you know this, but he's really angry and hurt."

Adair nodded. "I know."

Sandor sighed. "If he asks how you found him you better not tell him I told you."

"I won't," she responded eagerly.

"He was in the hatchling building last I saw him," Sandor said, but Adair had already started to jog off, going by memory to the building he had taken her to when she had come back with him from Bucharest.

She wandered through the terrariums until she saw the back of Charlie, learning over what appeared to be the same Chinese Fireball babies from her visit.

"They've gotten bigger since I last saw them," she said quietly.

Charlie straightened up and turned slowly at the sound of her voice. "What are you doing here?" he asked lowly.

Adair thought she could feel the chill rolling off of him.

"I need to talk to you," she said quietly, trying to meet his gaze, but failing.

"I would think we're a little past that, don't you?"

"Obviously not or I wouldn't be here," she replied a little shortly. "I know I fucked up, Charlie, and I can't stop thinking about it."

He rolled his brown eyes. "Maybe you should've thought of that before you went and shagged somebody else."

"Of course I should've. But I was so scared of what was happening between us."

Charlie swiped a hand over his face. "Adair, I'm working right now. If you must have this conversation you can wait at my place until I'm done."

"Oh. Right. Of course," she said. She hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and left the hatchling building.

She made her way to the cluster of cabins in the woods and climbed the stairs to Charlie's cabin, letting herself in.

Her bag dropped to the floor and she fell onto his soft, worn-out sofa. She thought back to the days she had spent there with him and wanted them back. She hated waiting for him with nothing to do. She was in some sort of purgatory and it was a completely unfamiliar feeling.

No one had ever made her wait around for them before. Adair was, whether she liked it or not, or whether she had asked for the treatment or not, used to getting what she wanted when she wanted it. The treatment went hand in hand with being a world-renowned Quidditch player and one of the more attractive ones.

In all reality, she had never thought a lot about how she was treated until she was sitting in Charlie's cabin waiting for him to show up and talk to her.

An hour passed and she couldn't sit anymore so Adair paced back and forth through his living room and emotions went back and forth between nervousness and anger. She was afraid he would tell her to get lost and never contact her again and then she would get angry, thinking that if he was going to go that route then he shouldn't have asked her to wait for him.

Another two hours passed before the door opened. Adair turned, her long hair fanning out behind her, to face him.

Charlie looked exhausted.

Adair didn't know what to say. All of the anger vanished. It wasn't just exhaustion on his face, but sadness.

She took a deep breath. "Charlie, I am so sorry. You didn't deserve that. I clearly wasn't thinking and was running away from whatever I was scared of. I knew what you wanted even though we'd never discussed it, but I ignored that because it made me uncomfortable."

"Do you think that makes it better, Adair?" Charlie squared himself to her, looking down at her. "Do you think coming here and giving your trite little apology, which you've clearly never done before, makes anything better?" Anger was radiating from him.

"I know it doesn't," she said quietly.

"Then what is the point of your being here?" he asked roughly.

Adair looked down at her feet. "I just wanted to apologize."

"Well you have."

Adair nodded and picked up her backpack, heading for the door, trying not to let him see the tears in her eyes, fighting any sign of vulnerability or weakness until the very end.

"I was really happy," he said quietly as she grasped the doorknob. She didn't turn back to face him, but stared at the rough-hewn wood before her. "Those few days we had together here and there were amazing. I hated to be apart from you and I've never had anything that took my focus away from my job like you did. I lived for your letters. The thought of travelling with you and watching you play sounded like something I'd like to do. Something I'd really like to do."

Adair still had her back to him.

"Look at me," he said.

She turned slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks. At that point, she didn't even bother to wipe them away and Charlie seemed unmoved by the display of emotion.

"Not once in my life have I ever gotten so close to another person, Adair," Charlie said.

Adair thought she heard something in his voice soften.

"I would rather spend my days with animals than humans and I finally thought I might have gotten over that tendency when I met you and spent those days holed away from the world. It was physically painful to leave you."

Charlie shook his head and looked out the window. "I could smell him on you. The night I surprised you. When you came back it was so obvious where you'd been and what you'd been doing. I was so surprised by the pain I felt. I hadn't expected it. I didn't realize until after how attached I'd become so quickly." He hastily wiped at his own eyes.

Adair took another deep breath and when she spoke, she didn't sound like herself. "What I did was cruel and unthinking and unforgivable. If I didn't know that before, then I certainly do now. I don't ever expect you to speak to me again, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry, Charlie. I wish I hadn't gotten us here. I wish I had taken everything more seriously. I wish I had talked to you when I was feeling uncomfortable."

Charlie gave a rough laugh. "Talked to me? You hardly ever said anything to me. I don't know anything about you. I couldn't tell you your favorite color or your birthday or anything."

Adair was silent, knowing what he said was true. She was dangerously closed off to most people.

"I've never been with anyone who wanted anything substantial from me. Bloody hell, I've never been in a real relationship with anyone. I treated it like all the others. Just having some fun here and there before it was over."

"That's so immature," Charlie replied, shaking his head. "I know there's an age gap between us, but you're a bloody adult. You should've known better."

"I know, I know. You're right. I ruined everything and I have to live with that." She turned back toward the door.

"You didn't come here to fight for me?" he asked, his voice a little stronger. "You didn't come here to convince me to take you back?"

"Maybe that's what I had in my head a few hours ago, but I think it's clear that that would be impossible. Even if I thought such a thing was possible, it wouldn't be what's best for you. I am quite clearly a cold-hearted bitch and you deserve someone better than that or at the very least to be alone in peace." Adair turned around again and looked up at him. "I wish I was different. I wish these things were easier for me to understand."

"Damnit, Adair, you could be!" Charlie exclaimed. "You could be whatever you wanted to be, but you want to take the easy way out and not put any work into anything."

Adair didn't know what to say to that. From her past actions that seemed to be the case.

"I don't know why I'm still having this conversation with you. I'm not sure why you came." He pulled his long hair down and ran his huge hands through it.

Adair wanted to touch it again. She wanted to pamper him and wash it while he was wrapped in her legs in her huge bathtub.

"I would take it all back if I could," she said quietly. "I would really try to figure it out with you."

"I'm not your test subject, Adair. If you're not going to get it right then I'm not interested. It would just be asking for more trouble for myself."

"What are you saying?" Adair asked, brow furrowed.

"I'm saying that I can't stop thinking about you. No matter how much I want to be pissed off with you, I still just miss you. You're all I fucking think about, all I dream about. Do you know what it's like to wake up after a dream about you and you're not here? To wake up from that and there's no prospect of being near you in the forseeable future or ever because we're," he motioned between them. "Because we're not a thing anymore."

"I do actually," she said, almost whispering. "And I miss you too. More than I thought I'd ever miss another person. I would like to be with you."

"And only me?"

Adair's stomach dropped at the thought of exclusivity, but she nodded anyway. "With only you."

She was afraid that he was tricking her somehow. She didn't want to seem too excited, thinking it might all crash down around her. If it did, it would be her own fault.

Charlie looked down at her, wondering if he had made a huge mistake in saying all he had. He wanted her back, wanted something to look forward to, but she had hurt him badly and he wasn't sure giving her another chance to do the same thing was a good idea.

They looked at each other uncertainty.

"Can you stay?" Charlie finally asked.

Adair nodded. "Until late tomorrow morning."

"I can make something to eat," Charlie offered.

"I'm not really hungry," Adair replied, shaking her head.

Charlie nodded, but didn't say anything. He was used to her saying that. "What are you then?" he asked, taking a few steps toward her until he was standing so close she could feel his warmth. He didn't touch her though.

"Happy. Relieved. Still embarrassed."

As she spoke, he ran his rough fingers through her long blonde hair, pulling gently so that she was looking up at him.

"Don't hurt me again, Adair," he said, lowering his head and pressing a kiss to her neck.

"I won't," she promised.

Charlie moved so he was kissing her lips. Adair wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, afraid he would slip from her grasp somehow.

With ease, Charlie lifted her into his arms and carried her to his small bedroom, tossing her on the bed. When his hands were free, he pulled his jacket and t-shirt off, kicking his boots off before crawling across the bed towards her.

"I won't say this is what I missed the most, but it's certainly up there," he said, running a hand under her t-shirt, cupping a breast and crashing his lips against hers.

He pulled her t-shirt over her head and unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them off, kissing the insides of her thighs as they were exposed to him.

Charlie felt himself swelling when Adair was only in her matching black lace bra and panties.

"This seems very planned," he said.

"It was my backup plan," she grinned up at him.

There must've still some pent up aggression and anger in Charlie, because he quickly had Adair on her hands and knees in front of him. He pulled her underwear down and grabbed her hips hard, pulling her around him.

Adair gasped and he moaned, thrusting into her a little harder each time.

He was cognizant of the fact that he might be hurting her, but when she asked him to pull her hair, that thought went out the window.

How he was using her body was something Adair understood much more than the slower and more sensual acts he sometimes leaned towards.

With one hand, Adair was hanging onto the headboard, neck exposed and Charlie took a handful of her thick fair hair and pulled her neck back.

Her back arched to give him just the right angle. One of his hands came around and her pinched her peaked nipple.

Adair gave a cry of surprise, but she moved her hand to keep his right where it was.

"Fuck," she moaned, dropping to her elbows and burying her face in his pillow, inhaling his scent of fire and leather that she had missed so much. That was all it took to send her over the edge.

"Fuck, Adair," Charlie groaned when he had finished and slumped over her, his groin still pressed against her backside.

ooooOoooo

The next morning, Adair woke before Charlie. She was surprised to find that she had slept the whole night asleep on his shoulder, his arm wrapped snugly around her.

She began tracing the scars that were visible on his muscular chest and stomach, the sheet was low on his waist. He had a tattoo on his chest, covering nearly his whole right pectoral muscle.

She'd never really asked him about his tattoos. They spent very little time together and so when they were, there wasn't a whole lot of time for talking. Adair imagined that would change.

"It's the Celtic symbol for fire," Charlie said, his chest rumbling under Adair's cheek.

"How many do you have?"

"Too many too count," he said, chuckling.

Adair stretched up to kiss him softly. "I like them."

"Well good because they're permanent."

Charlie hauled her up so she was sitting on his hips. Both of them were completely naked. Adair looked at him smiling, wishing she could spend every morning in such a way. His huge, rough hands rested on her hips. Her hair fell in a curtain around her.

"We've really not taken much time to actually look at each other, have we?" Charlie asked, tracing the biggest scar Adair had on her body. It was much darker than any of the ones she had received from Quidditch and it wrapped around from the middle of her back almost to her left hip. "How did you get that? It doesn't look like a Quidditch injury."

Adair shook her head, hair rippling. "I got that one at the Battle."

"The Battle?"

"Six years ago, happened at Hogwarts, good and evil," Adair said sarcastically.

"I know what you're talking about. I didn't know you were there."

"I didn't hang around afterwards. I got that tended to." She covered his hand with hers as he continued to trace it. "And then I went back to Texas."

"It looks like it hurt," Charlie said, cringing a bit.

"LIke a bitch. Oliver found me or I might've bled out."

"Thank goodness for your brother," Charlie said with a rogue smile as his hands ran up her body, thumbs brushing over her nipples and then back down to rest on her backside.

"Don't say that now," Adair laughed. She leaned over and kissed him.

They spent the morning in bed, in turns touching one another and making love and talking a bit before she had to go.

"Black and October second," she said when she was pulling her jeans back on to go back to London for practice.

"What?" Charlie asked from where he was propped up in his bed, watching her somewhat hungrily.

"You said you didn't know my favorite color or my birthday. Respectively, the answers are black and October second."

She came back to the bed and kissed him one more time before she headed for the door.

"Black isn't a color!" he called after her, shaking his head and grinning.

* * *

I loved most parts of this chapter and I hope you did too. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for these two. I love to hear **headcanons** you might have because those get hard to come up with after a while so any inspiration is most welcome. No hate comments or flames, please.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	8. Chapter 8

Hi all! Not much to say about this one, except that I'll be interested to hear what you think. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eight

Adair pulled the door to her flat open and grinned up at Charlie.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, bending down and kissing her gently, lingering for a few seconds.

"You'll have to throw your stuff down and then we need to get to Oliver's."

"Blasted dragons. I was hoping to have some time with just you before dinner," he said, heading for her bedroom. Adair trailed him and as Charlie tossed his knapsack on her bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"We're already late," she said against his back.

Charlie turned and grinned down at her. His arms twined around her before lifting her up and setting her on the counter, kissing her deeply.

ooooOoooo

"We weren't sure you two were going to show up," Katie said with a giggle when she let Adair and Charlie into Oliver's flat. She hadn't officially moved in and wouldn't until after their wedding on New Year's Eve.

"I got caught up in something at the sanctuary," Charlie said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck, a telltale sign that he was uncomfortable.

Katie just nodded. "Well Oliver is getting dinner out of the oven so we can go into the dining room."

Charlie and Adair followed and he pinched her arse as they went.

Oliver's flat was just as large as Adair's, if not bigger, but it had a little more life in it. There were photographs from his actual life and colors throughout.

The dining room was painted a rich burgundy and featured a large mahogany table that they all occupied the middle of.

Katie poured glasses of red wine for everyone and Oliver came in, ushering a roast and vegetables before him.

"Tell me you made that," Charlie said, looking at Katie.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid Oliver is the chef between the pair of us."

Charlie laughed and Adair swatted his arm.

"I'm surprised you keep visiting her even though you know you might starve," Oliver said as the roast was being sliced. He orchestrated the pieces of meat and vegetables onto everyone's plate along with a biscuit.

"Luckily, I can cook as well," Charlie replied. "Or we would be in dangerous territory."

Oliver laughed as he sat down next to Katie. "Dig in."

Knives and forks scraped on the plates.

"This is delicious," Charlie said. "How did this gene skip you?" He asked Adair.

She shook her head and popped a potato in her mouth.

"It might not have, she just doesn't want to apply herself," Oliver said.

Adair just shrugged. "Why would I try now if you're just going to do it for me?" she asked, looking at Charlie as she took a sip of wine.

Everyone laughed. "Fair enough," he replied.

The rest of dinner was spent discussing everything from the rest of the Quidditch season to the details of Oliver and Katie's wedding.

When the meal was over, Katie and Adair rose and guided the dishes back towards the kitchen to clean up. Oliver caught the look Charlie gave to the plate Adair had seemingly only taken a few bites from.

Charlie looked up and met her brother's eyes. "What is that about?" he asked. "She never eats. I've never seen her finish more than half a plate. How does she workout and train the way she does when she doesn't eat? Am I missing something?"

Oliver could tell the other man was worried. He shook his head. "She's always been like that. I don't know how she does it or why, but I can't remember a time before she was hyper conscious of food."

"I don't know if I can keep watching it without saying something. She could really hurt herself, especially with your guys' jobs."

"I know," Oliver agreed.

"Have you said anything to her?"

"When we were at Hogwarts. It didn't go well for me and I've never said anything else."

Charlie sighed.

"This is a little deep and if you ever refer to what I'm about to say I'll deny it and then kill you," Oliver began, taking a deep breath. "I think she does it because it's something she can control. You haven't met my parents yet and I'm sure she rarely speaks of them, but Adair didn't show as much promise with Quidditch as they thought I did and so from a very young age they had her schedule so full of training sessions and the like that she never really had time for what she wanted to do. Those sessions continued even after she went to Hogwarts so her days were full of classes, homework, team practice, and private sessions. Nothing has ever really been her own. Even in the professional world she's told what to do, when to do it, what to say, who to say it to." He paused, pondering what he said. "And then there's just the superficiality of what we do. She just did a photoshoot for Seeker Weekly. You can't very well show up to that looking out of shape."

Charlie nodded though he didn't quite understand it. "She really worries me sometimes." He ran a hand through his hair, mussing the bun he wore. "What she does is extreme, even for a Quidditch player. I've seen the other women who play."

"I know," Oliver agreed. "But she's a grown woman."

"So I shouldn't say anything?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you there. I know if you do say something, she won't take to it very well, but it's probably been a while since anyone cared enough to say something. This is going to make me sound callous, but if you do decide to say something can it wait until the season is over? She doesn't play well when other things are going on."

Charlie nodded, absentmindedly.

"What are you two gossiping about?" Katie asked, leading Adair back into the room. The women brought a fresh bottle of wine and the glasses were filled once more.

Charlie couldn't help but look over at Adair when she wasn't looking. He practically winced seeing her delicate hand and wrist that lifted the glass to her lips or the sharp cheekbones.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly when she caught him looking. "You don't look very well."

He shook his head, feeling Oliver's eyes on him. "I'm fine. Just a long day."

Adair nodded and then turned back to the conversation they had been having about the possibility of going to the World Cup and who the siblings they thought they would have to beat in order to get there.

Oliver and Katie both walked Charlie and Adair to the door when they had finished the second bottle of wine and everyone was winding down.

"Thanks for having us," Adair said, kissing Katie's cheek while Oliver and Charlie shook hands.

The siblings still lived fairly close together and it was a nice August night, so Adair and Charlie walked back to her flat.

"I kind of hate that that's how we're spending your one night here," Adair said with a light laugh, wrapping an arm around his middle as they walked.

Charlie chuckled. "Agreed. There are more pleasant ways to spend a few hours." He draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. He could feel her bony shoulders under his arm and he cringed again, but bit his tongue for the time being.

"What time do you have practice tomorrow?" he asked instead.

"In the afternoon. What about you? What time do you have to be back?"

"I have something right after our lunch break."

"So we can lie in bed all morning," Adair said with a smile.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Charlie replied as they walked through the front door. He made sure it was locked behind him as Adair continued toward her bedroom.

She stripped from her clothes and sent them to their respectives places before going into the bathroom to remove her makeup and get ready for bed.

Charlie stripped as well, having his clothes folded and on the bench at the foot of the bed before she emerged. He had learned quickly that things out of place irritated her.

He propped himself on an elbow and watched her as she settled next to him. "I have to come back in a couple of weeks for Louis' second birthday party," he said, playing with a strand of her hair.

"That's nice. Maybe you can stay here?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I was actually thinking that you should come to the party with me."

Adair was silent for a long moment. "But that's your family."

Charlie laughed lightly. "Yes and I thought it might be nice for you to be around them."

"Oh."

"It's a normal thing for couples to do. Meet the families."

"I'm sure it is," Adair said. "I don't want to intrude on anything though or make a fuss at a child's birthday party."

"Most of them know you already so it won't be like that," Charlie said. "Do you have any other feeble attempts to get out of this?" He raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly down at her.

Adair sighed. "I might have a match."

"You don't. I checked."

That was the feeblest of excuses as the season was winding down. England only had a handful of games left, spread far apart, as they were drawing near to the end of the season and closer and closer to the World Cup which they were still in the running for.

"Is there a reason you don't want to go?"

"No," Adair replied. "Just one of those things I've never done."

"It will be fine. Maybe even fun," Charlie said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight against him, sensing her anxiety. "It's a second birthday party. You do scarier things every day."

"Well that's yet to be seen, but I'll take your word for it."

Charlie laughed once more. "There's still a couple of weeks between now and then. You don't have to worry about it right now."

"I'll pencil it in for later," Adair responded.

Long after Charlie had fallen asleep, Adair laid awake thinking about the birthday party. It was true that she knew most of his siblings and their partners. She had met his parents several times through Ginny and they had always been kind, but still something nagged at her.

In her personal life, she tried to avoid situations where she would have to prove herself. As a professional Quidditch player she did that when she played, when she took press conferences and interviews, and when she had her photos taken, consensually or otherwise. It was constant.

And then of course, this brought into play that whatever they were doing was getting more serious every time they saw one another. Meeting the family seemed so important. She'd never met anyone else's family.

After an hour of lying there, staring at the ceiling, she rose as gently as she could and went into the kitchen. It was the first time she had sought out Firewhiskey to help her sleep when Charlie had been there, but her heart wouldn't stop pounding.

She poured a full tumbler of the amber liquid and padded back toward her bedroom. She stood silently in the doorway watching Charlie sleep.

It had been just shy of a year since they had met at Ron and Hermione's wedding and she truly couldn't believe they were still seeing each other after everything that time had contained. She was glad he had stuck around.

She took a deep breath and finished the tumbler before moving back towards the bed. She would go to the birthday party and she would try to impress his family.

Adair gently set the tumbler on her bedside table before gingerly crawling back into bed, lying down with her back to Charlie.

He didn't wake, she could tell from his even breathing, but he reached around her waist with his huge arms and pulled her against his chest.

ooooOoooo

In the morning, Charlie woke to Adair's hand trailing up his inner thigh and her mouth hot on his neck.

"Quite the good morning," he murmured, not opening his eyes.

"Sshh." Adair ran her tongue up the column of his throat and then nibbled his earlobe, getting the response she wanted from him.

Charlie rolled toward her and began kissing her hungrily, enjoying the sensation of her hand on him.

Adair moaned against his lips, burying her hands in his hair and pressing the length of her body against his.

With the loss of contact, Charlie rolled onto his back, pulling Adair with him so she was straddling his hips.

He moaned when she raised up just enough to take him inside of her and began rocking back and forth.

His hands travelled up her thighs and over her hips and he opened his eyes to look at her. He wished he wouldn't have. The protruding hip bones, ribs, and collarbone drew him back to his conversation with Oliver the night before. The worry flooded him once more as he could see just how thin she was. His arousal disappeared.

Adair froze when she realized what happened. "What's the matter?" she asked, feeling extremely self-conscious as she sat atop him, naked and very aware that he was no longer interested.

Charlie sighed, remembering the promise he had made to Oliver about not talking to her until after their season was over.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. He reached up to pull her down next to him. "Nothing is the matter. It just happens sometimes."

Adair lay there silently thinking it most certainly did not just "happen sometimes." It had never once happened to her with any of her partners.

"It's not about you," he said, rolling on his side to face her. She stared up at the ceiling.

Charlie groaned inwardly. The last thing she needed was to be thinking that his lack of interest had to do with her body. Of course it did in some way and so he was stuck.

He took her chin in his hand and turned her face to him. "Seriously. I'm just getting old."

Adair cracked the tiniest of smiles at his expense.

"But that doesn't mean you should suffer," Charlie said, hovering over her and kissing her deeply.

His mind was still elsewhere as he trailed kisses from her collarbone to her hips and then up the inside of her thighs.

Adair's fingers went into his hair and tightened as he went to work. Still all he could think of was the conversation he'd had with Oliver, even has Adair's hips bucked against his mouth. His hands didn't touch her as he didn't want to feel her bones again.

ooooOoooo

Charlie arrived at the Burrow on the morning of Louis' birthday party. Most of the family was already gathered, helping Mrs. Weasley prepare the tent and the food and everything else.

"Charlie, dear," his mother called to him as he entered the house after helping Bill set up the tables and chairs.

"You're not cutting my hair, Mum," he said firmly, not stopping on his way to the stairs.

"Oh I've quite given up on that," she said with a sigh. "It's something else."

Charlie came back and paused in the kitchen doorway, looking at his mother.

"Bill said you invited Adair Wood to the party."

Charlie nodded.

"It's just, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Her second eldest arched an eyebrow. "And why wouldn't it be a good idea?" He shook his head, not understanding. "She's known the family forever. She's Ginny's best friend and we've been seeing each other for a while now."

"I know all that, dear. I'm just not sure she's the proper guest for a child's second birthday party."

Mrs. Weasley rummaged around in a drawer, digging for something she had quite obviously hidden. She straightened and slid a tabloid across the kitchen table towards her son.

Charlie glanced down at it, but he had seen it before. It was the most recent edition of Seeker Weekly and Adair was on the cover.

She wore nothing but very short spandex shorts, a sports bra, which did more pushing up than keeping secure, with the English flag on it, and her knee high Quidditch boots with her broom slung across her shoulders, wrists hanging at either end. Her long blonde hair was slicked back from her face and hanging down her back and she had more makeup on than he had ever seen her wear. There was a stripe of scarlet that went from temple to temple and over her eyelids and the black eyeliner was thick. Her cheekbones looked like they could slice through butter. The headline read, "Does Adair Wood Have What It Takes to Take England to the World Cup?" The image of her turned slowly around so that the reader could see her from all angles and he imagined many were intrigued by the shot of her from behind.

Charlie sighed just as Bill and George came into the house to get ready.

"What are we looking at?" George asked, sliding the tabloid away from Charlie. "Oh I saw this. It's fantastic!"

"Fantastic?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Bill was peering over George's shoulder.

"She looks great and she's had a hell of a season," George said, glancing at Charlie. "Not sure what she sees in you."

Charlie hit him lightly on the shoulder, his heart not in it.

"Is there a reason we're looking at Adair?" Bill asked, looking between his mother and brother, sensing something was off.

"Mum doesn't think she's a suitable guest for Louis' party. I guess because she's half naked on the cover of a magazine," Charlie said wearily.

"I didn't say that!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"Mum!" Bill shook his head. "It's my son's birthday and if I would've thought there was someone who shouldn't be here, I would've made that decision."

"Do you think she's going to show up in that outfit?" George asked. "I mean, I wouldn't turn her away, but I bet she'll wear something a little more appropriate."

"Who wouldn't you turn away?" Angelina asked, coming through the door with Hermione and a pregnant Audrey. She caught a glimpse of the magazine and smacked George lightly on the back of the head. "You're disgusting." But she was smiling to herself as she headed upstairs, following the other two.

"Admit it, Mum. We were all starting to think that Charlie might be gay, so really this is a blessing. I mean he's with a girl who is not only good looking, but can you imagine how much money she made on that photoshoot alone?"

"I'm going to kill you," Charlie said murderously to his younger brother.

"I know we didn't have enough when you all were growing up, but I would hope that wouldn't have caused you to be with someone for their money," Mrs. Weasley said, exasperatedly.

"I'm not with her for the money!" Charlie thundered. "And I'm not with her because she looks good in spandex shorts and a sports bra!"

"Those things don't hurt though," George whispered. Bill shoved him.

Charlie looked pointedly at his mother. "Are you going to be civil to Adair or should I tell her to forget about the party because my family is rather narrow-minded?"

"I am not narrow-minded, Charles," she replied sharply. "But the photo isn't the only thing that concerns me."

"By all means, tell me more," he replied sarcastically.

"Surely you know what's written about her?" Mrs. Weasley prompted. Charlie remained silent so she continued with a sigh. "She's photographed with a different man at least once a month."

Charlie swiped a hand over his face. "The reporters don't have to write about things that are true, Mum. They want to sell magazines to people like you who believe everything they see and read."

Without another word, he clumped up the stairs to change.

"I'll just hide this so the children don't get their hands on it and ask questions," Charlie heard his mother say before he slammed the bedroom door.

ooooOoooo

Half an hour later, he came downstairs and the house was deserted, everyone else under the tent to escape the last rays of afternoon sun.

Charlie looked out the sitting room window and saw Adair walking up the lane to the house. With a smile, he went to greet her away from the prying eyes of his family in the backyard.

"Hi," she said with a pleasant smile, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle.

Charlie kissed her softly, smiling against her lips. He pulled away and laced his fingers through hers. He couldn't help but smile down at her.

Adair had opted to wear a black cotton t-shirt dress that hit just above her knees with flat sandals. Her hair was worn loose and wavy around her shoulders. There wasn't anything overtly sexual about the outfit and for that Charlie was glad, though he had known she would know exactly the right thing to wear.

Before they came around the side of the Burrow to join the others under the tent, Charlie stopped. "So this might be a little rough," he said quietly.

"Rough? How so?"

"My mum can be tough on people," was all he said before they were off again towards the tent.

Adair was greeted warmly by Ginny and George first and then the rest of them.

"Adair! Adair!"

She just had time to register the platinum blonde hair flying towards her before it collided with her. Victoire grinned up at her. Adair was surprised she remembered her name. It had been a very long time since they'd seen one another.

"I've been listening to all of your games!" the little girl exclaimed.

"She's positively obsessed with you," Bill confirmed as he joined the group.

"Not too obsessed, I hope, Victoire," Mrs. Weasley said, approaching. "Very few people can make their living playing a silly game."

Adair heard Charlie begin to speak behind her, but she spoke over him. "That's true. Always have a plan B," she said, smiling down at Victoire. "You're smart. You could do anything you wanted to."

Just as quickly as she had appeared, Victoire darted off to join Teddy in the orchard.

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Weasley," Adair said with a smile, despite the older woman's initial comment.

"Likewise Adair," she said, before leaving to go back into the Burrow to fetch the food.

Ginny sidled up to Adair with James on her hip. "George mentioned that she's not very impressed with the Seeker Weekly feature."

Adair's cheeks immediately colored. "It's part of the job," she said quietly, watching as Charlie was drug away by his nieces and nephews. He glanced back at Adair apologetically.

"I know it is. We all know it is. George and Bill staunchly came to your defense. And Charlie of course." Ginny sighed. "She's just rather traditional is all. If you stick around, she'll have to get over it."

Adair nodded, smiling at James who had a lock of his mother's red hair in his chubby fist.

They were all called to the long table to eat before Louis' was presented with his cake and gifts.

Charlie sat on Adair's right midway down the table and Fleur was on her left, Molly and Arthur occupying the heads of the table and everyone else filling in.

Adair put a little food on her plate and pushed it around more than she ate it. Charlie watched her out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

"Adair, is the food not quite up to your standards? I suppose it's not at all comparable to the fancy restaurants and such you're used to," Mrs. Weasley said loud enough to stop the conversations all down the table. "I can't say I've ever had anyone not eat my food, isn't that right, Harry dear?" she asked her son-in-law who was sitting next to her.

Harry flushed scarlet and shook his head, mumbling something no one could understand which earned him a sharp elbow from his wife.

"But then again, eating food like this won't get you on the cover of a magazine."

Everyone was silent, but Adair was used to hearing such things from people who didn't understand her life or job.

"I'm sorry if that feature offended you, Mrs. Weasley," Adair said as lightly as she could manage, though she felt her temper flaring. "I don't get to choose the shoots I'm a part of or how they dress me."

It was Mrs. Weasley's turn to flush. "Oh I was just teasing," she stuttered out.

"I'm sure you were," Adair said, taking a long drink from the Butterbeer in front of her, signalling an end to the exchange.

Conversations tentatively started back up around her.

"I wish I had handled her half as well as you did when she was giving me ze heat," Fleur said with an admiring smile.

"Well it's taken years of dealing with reporters," Adair replied.

"Are you okay?" Charlie whispered on her other side. Worry was etched on his face as she pushed her plate away, only having taken two or three bites.

Adair nodded. "I'm fine."

The sun sank as Louis was opening his presents. Charlie had gotten him a lifelike dragon toy that crawled around and smoked from the mouth and nostrils, making a realistic roar for such a miniature toy. It was by far the favorite. He had signed Adair's name with his.

As everyone chatted when the presents were opened and the children playing or falling asleep, Charlie realized that he had lost Adair.

He quickly found her with his father.

"I find Muggle sports so interesting," Mr. Weasley was saying. "There are two footballs. Did you know that. The British Muggles also call theirs soccer and the American Muggles just call it football."

Adair was nodding along. "I actually went to an American football game when I played in Texas."

"Oh how fascinating!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. Just as he was politely demanding Adair to tell him every last detail about the experience, Charlie swooped in.

"Dad, Adair has a really early practice. I think she was hoping to be out of here by now."

"Unfortunately, he's right," Adair agreed. "But I have enjoyed this immensely. Thank you so much for having me."

"Of course! Of course! I was so happy to have you!" Mr. Weasley took her hands and squeezed them between his own.

Charlie gently had to separate the two.

"Good luck with the rest of your season, my dear! I'm rooting for you."

Adair smiled and waved over her shoulder as they walked back around the house.

"Bloody hell, Adair. I don't know what to say. Sorry isn't nearly enough."

She shook her head. "It's alright. Everyone else was lovely."

"But she was awful."

"She's your mum. She wants what's best for you and on paper what's best for you probably isn't the half naked girl on a tabloid cover."

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. "Can I go home with you?"

"You'd probably better stay here with your family. It wouldn't look good if you left."

He knew she was right. "Can I take you to lunch after your practice and before I go back to Romania tomorrow?"

"I'd like that."

"I'll meet you at your place."

Adair got on her tiptoes and kissed his lips gently. "I'm tough. It's alright," she said before she turned and headed down the lane to Apparate back to her flat.

Charlie sighed and watched her disappear.

Mrs. Weasley didn't say a word to him the rest of the night.

* * *

There you have it! I hope you liked it. Let me know your thoughts and opinions! I appreciate everything but hate comments and flames!

Happy reading,

Avonmora


	9. Chapter 9

Wow! I am so so so so so so so sorry for my long delay in posting! Just shy of a year is a long time and so unacceptable! In my defense (take it or leave it) I've had a lot going on in the past few months! I got a puppy, got engaged, had sooooo much family drama and a lot else, but I should've kept writing. It would've helped with the bad stuff.

That's enough of my excuses. I hope you love this and I hope you review even though I definitely don't deserve them!

* * *

Chapter Nine

The sun was beating down and the heat was sticky and nearly unbearable. It was so unlike anything experienced in London. The English team worried they wouldn't be able to perform in such conditions. They hadn't played anywhere nearly so tropical all season.

Even the usually optimistic and loud Oliver was silent as they surveyed the pitch, shading their eyes with their hands.

Before away matches, they had time for a light practice and to feel their surroundings out.

Adair glanced at her brother, hoping for some encouragement or guidance, but none came.

The entire team was on edge. The match against Argentina was the last one they needed to win to go to the World Cup.

The energy amongst the teammates who had had a considerably good season was so strange. No one said a word as they went into the locker rooms to change for their practice. The match began the next morning.

ooooOoooo

Latin music was pounding through the stadium, seemingly shaking the locker rooms they were in. Adair said nothing. She was looking at the goggles she only wore in the rain. They had done their best to charm them to block out some of the bright sunlight, but she still wasn't confident in the outcome of the match that day. No one seemed to be. She and Sienna and Jasmine didn't say a word to each other as they pulled on their heavy robes on and clunky boots. They had formed such a rapport over the last season that the silence seemed deafening.

"Ready?" Jasmine finally asked, slinging her broom over her shoulder.

The other two merely nodded and went out to join the men.

Per usual, Oliver and Adair were the last ones to enter the arena. Luckily, many English fans had come for such an important match and their cheers for the siblings almost drowned out the music.

Adair found herself squeezing her brother's hand and smiling at him. They had played together so many times and after her reconciliation with Charlie they had found their stride once more.

"We've got this," she yelled, before they mounted their brooms and kicked off.

Charlie was already pacing their suite and the Snitch and Bludgers hadn't even been released. He hadn't expected to be so nervous, but he knew how crucial this game was. He wanted to see Oliver and Adair go to the World Cup.

He felt his chest swelling with pride when Adair flew into the air. Her hair was braided back away from her face. He couldn't see her eyes under the goggles the whole team was wearing and he didn't like it. He could always sense her emotions on the pitch by her eyes. They were the only features that ever changed.

"I don't know if I can watch this," Katie said, crumpling into a stadium seat behind him.

He wanted to chuckle and tell her it would all be fine, but he wasn't sure it would be. His heart was pounding so hard and his palms began to sweat.

The Quaffle was released and Argentina took possession. Charlie swiped a rough hand over his face.

"I can't watch," Katie said and he turned around to see her face covered by her tiny hands.

"Adair Wood is neck and neck with Santos! She might do the Keeping for her brother today, folks!"

Charlie couldn't have gotten any closer to the suite window if he tried. His forehead was pressed to it.

When the Argentine Chaser tried to throw the Quaffle around Adair, she snatched it and went racing back towards the other side of the pitch. She weaved in and out of teammates and opponents alike.

"Go! Go! Go!" Charlie was yelling, but no one but Katie could hear him. She was up on her feet and next to him in a flash, her fists pounding on the glass.

"Adair Wood is here to play today, ladies and gentlemen. She's letting everyone know that she very much wants to go to the World Cup!"

"Maybe I can watch," Katie said, not going back to her seat.

"I won't tell them you had such little faith," Charlie said, finally grinning at her.

While England started off strong, it was still a desperately close match. One team would get ahead by a few goals and then the other would, but there was no sign of the Snitch being caught.

"Bloody hell!" Charlie exclaimed as the sun was setting and Adair narrowly missed a Bludger. "Now I can't watch."

The spectators were exhausted and they couldn't imagine how the actual players felt. They'd been in the air for hours and the coaches only sent replacements in for brief snippets of time, too worried about losing the match if they didn't have their best players in.

"They look awful," Katie said.

It was true. The players were wearing down fast. Luckily, there had been no serious injuries, but it would get more dangerous as the sun set.

Finally, somehow the English Seeker caught the Snitch. Both teams nearly collapsed when their boots hit the ground, but they somehow managed to walk into the locker rooms. After such a match, there was no celebrating. They hadn't had had such a difficult match all year and it led them to believe that the World Cup would be much of the same. Absolutely grueling.

Charlie couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Adair was going to the World Cup!

He and Katie waited in the suite for almost another two hours while the players changed and then sat through a celebratory press conference.

When they finally came through the door, Charlie was upon her, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around and around.

"You were incredible!" He exclaimed. When he set her down, she rested her forehead on his broad chest.

"I've never been this tired," she murmured.

"Let's go back to the hotel," he suggested.

Adair nodded and wrapped her arms through his, cuddling against him even as they walked.

"You were bloody brilliant," he said, still smiling, even as Adair tried not to fall asleep on her feet when they took the elevator up to her room.

She still didn't say anything, just made her way to the bedroom, falling face down on the duvet.

Charlie chuckled until he realized she had fallen immediately asleep. He gently removed her trainers and then tried to maneuver her so she was under the covers. She didn't stir at all.

He stood over her for a minute before he joined her in bed.

Even though Adair was practically unconscious, she rolled toward him and wrapped herself around him.

ooooOoooo

Late the next morning, after Adair had slept for well over twelve hours, Charlie ordered breakfast to be brought up for them. He tried to quietly wheel the cart into the bedroom, but Adair blinked awake.

She seemed confused as to where she was.

"You slept really hard," Charlie said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I played for almost eight hours yesterday." Adair winced as she tried to prop herself up. "Every part of my body hurts."

"Allow me then," Charlie said, reaching for a plate of fresh fruit on the tray. He picked up a chunk of pineapple with his fingers and brought it to her lips.

Adair smiled. "I love playing down here for the fruit and coffee."

She reached for the mug he handed her and took a careful sip. "Mmmm." Her eyes closed and she fell back into the pillows.

"Have you processed it?" Charlie asked her as she brought the mug back to her lips. "You're going to the bloody World Cup!"

Adair didn't smile. "It's more of an exciting prospect in the abstract, but when I think of another match like yesterday's, I'm not sure I'll survive it."

"Of course you will and you'll bloody win!" Charlie was up walking around. "I mean that first play yesterday and all the rest of them really. Whoever you're up against, doesn't stand a chance."

"Could we talk about anything else for a while?" she asked, setting the mug back on the tray. Adair wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed the sore muscles of her biceps, triceps and shoulders.

"Maybe you should get a massage before the Cup. You've got plenty of time," Charlie suggested.

"Maybe you should too."

"Funnily enough, we don't have a masseuse on staff at the sanctuary."

"Well maybe you shouldn't go back to the sanctuary just yet."

"I have to go back tonight."

"You don't have to. Wasn't there once someone who told me that everybody takes a sick day now and then?"

"Adair," Charlie began, but she was shaking her head at him.

"Listen, I rented a little beach bungalow a little ways from Buenos Aires. I knew that if we lost I'd want to be alone and if we won, I'd want to get my head right for the Cup. We've got a week off where we really only have to workout on our own. Coach doesn't want to overtrain us before such a big game. So go there with me. For just a few days."

Charlie was rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on. Haven't we enjoyed those times where we've just been allowed to hole up together?"

He slowly nodded.

"Now imagine that on a beach."

Charlie remained silent.

"Just tell them you caught some awful Southern hemisphere bug or something and you're not well enough to leave the country for a few days." Adair looked up at him. "I cannot believe you're being this stubborn. You made me do it once upon a time!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Fine."

He drew his wand from the bedside table and without words a silver dragon burst from the tip and whooshed from the room.

Adair had to flatten her hair when it was gone.

"Do you know what I think of when I conjure a Patronus?" he asked with a rogue grin, crawling towards her and moving the tray off of her legs.

Adair laughed as he pulled her underneath him, but then she was groaning. "Bloody hell, everything hurts." She rolled onto her side and pulled her knees to her chest, but even that hurt her arms and hamstrings. It got worse as she woke up and blood flowed into her extremities.

Charlie's heart hurt to see her like that. He often worried about what the impact of her years as a Quidditch player would do to her body in the long run and he could tell that she wasn't suffering from normal muscle soreness. She had sat on her broom the day before for hours and hours, and not only sat there, but raced back and forth, rolled and dove, catched and threw the Quaffle.

He pressed a tender kiss to her temple and then stood to go into the luxurious bathroom. He filled the marble tub with hot water and dumped in a vial of salts that were on the edge.

When the tub was full, he went back into the bedroom and gingerly undressed Adair. She sucked in her breath when she had to raise her arms to remove her shirt and sports bra. He wiggled the leggings over her hips and down her legs.

She pressed her face into his chest when Charlie lifted her into his arms and he wasn't positive, but he thought he felt her warm tears of pain on his bare chest.

"Oh Adair," he murmured into her blonde hair.

Carefully, he deposited her into the warm bathwater.

"Can I get you anything?"

"A shot of Firewhiskey," she said.

Normally, he might have tried to convince her to have something else, but her face was drawn with pain and completely leached of color. He glanced at her bony hands grasping the edge of the tub, white knuckled.

He merely nodded and navigated his way to the stocked bar. He poured her half a tumbler of the smoking, amber liquid and when he was perched on the edge of the tub once more, he put it to her lips himself.

Adair tilted her head back and opened her throat, downing it all in one go. When she was done, she kept her eyes closed and rested her head on the lip of the tub.

Charlie reached into the water and pulled her foot out, using his thumb to massage the arch.

She yelped and jerked her foot out of his grasp.

"I'm so sorry," he said quickly. "I was only trying to help." He ran his hand through his hair when he saw that tears had really come to her eyes that time.

"I know," Adair said, when she quit biting the inside of her cheek. She surprised herself when she placed the same foot back in his hand. "Just be extremely gentle."

Charlie felt like he was barely touching her, but her body relaxed under his ministrations. He worked his way from her feet to her calves to her thighs.

Adair's eyes shot open when his hand moved just a little higher. "That's not sore."

"No?" He started to draw his hand away.

"I would love nothing more, but I don't think I'll live if my body tenses up like that," Adair said, cheeks going red.

Charlie chuckled. "We can't have that." He dried his arms off and bent over to press a kiss to her forehead. "Stay in here for a while longer."

While Adair lay in the tub dozing Charlie sent a glass of water to her. "Drink it!" he called, from his spot in bed.

She did as he told her and an hour later she somehow managed to stand from the tub, dry herself off and slather herself in lotion. She waddled to the bed, muscles so tight and sore she could hardly bend her joints, and collapsed next to Charlie.

"When are we leaving?" he asked.

"In the morning," she replied, before falling into the sleep of the dead.

Charlie glanced at the clock. It was barely noon.

He ended up sending for dinner by himself as Adair hadn't stirred and there was no sign that she would in the near future. He occupied himself with a walk around the hotel grounds and then with a book he had brought before he went to sleep himself, inhaling the scent of her clean skin and hair.

ooooOoooo

"Bloody hell, Adair, this is amazing," Charlie whispered when they were safely Apparated to their bungalow late the next morning. The sand of the beach was the whitest thing he had ever seen and it was difficult to discern between the ocean and sky they were both so blue.

"Glad you came?" she asked, leaning heavily on his arm. He might've been mistaken, but it seemed the second day after the match was even worse for Adair.

She pulled him into the bungalow. It was tiny and all one room besides the bathroom. There was a large bed and small kitchen and not much else. On the counter were two drinks in coconut shells waiting for them. Whatever was in them tasted delightfully of oranges.

"You shouldn't have invited me here," he replied. "I'll never want to go back to Romania."

Adair laughed. With a wave of her wand, the things from her bag unpacked themselves neatly into the one small chest of drawers. Seeing that Charlie had no intention of doing the same, she did it for him.

They had had to buy a few things for him for the trip, but really they wouldn't need much as they wouldn't be leaving. She had found a place that would already be stocked with the things they needed for their short stay.

She gingerly pushed her shorts down and pulled her tank top off, slipping right into her black bikini. "Can you tie this?" she asked.

"If I have to," Charlie said, setting his drink down and tying the bikini top around her back and then behind her neck.

Adair smeared sunscreen over her entire body and then handed it to Charlie. "You'll probably want to use that entire bottle," she joked, picking her drink up again before heading for the ocean.

Charlie watched her go before he pulled on his new swim trunks and covered himself from head to toe in the sun block and joined her.

"It's so much nicer here than in the city," he said, as he waded out to wear she stood, waves lapping at her torso. "Not so stifling."

Adair nodded her agreement. "I'm glad you came."

"This is way better than when I asked you to spend a few days in my shack in my Romania," he laughed, but she thought she could sense some real embarrassment.

"I think they both have their charms." She wrapped her arms around him from behind and placed a chain of kisses up his spine.

She didn't say anything more about it, not wanting to linger on the topic of money for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because it didn't matter to her how they got to enjoy certain things as long as they did get to enjoy them together.

They stayed in the water all afternoon, Adair finally getting some relief as it made her feel buoyant and relaxed her entire body.

When they finally walked back to the bungalow, the sun was setting and they were a bit tipsy as they had found that the coconuts kept refilling themselves.

"I'm starving," Charlie groaned.

"There should be food in the kitchen." Just as she said it, two huge platters appeared on the counter. Upon closer inspection it was a white fish on a bed of fresh vegetables and rice.

Before Adair could blink, Charlie was devouring the meal. She did as well, eating more than he'd ever seen her eat. He wasn't sure if it was because of the long game the day before or because of the healthy ingredients, but he didn't question it when there were only a few bites left on her plate.

"I'm going to take a shower," Adair said, standing gingerly.

"Can I join you?" Charlie asked. "The dishes have done themselves."

"Tomorrow," she promised. She wasn't sure her body could take what he wanted of her after a separation and after playing in the match she had yesterday.

Charlie just nodded and gave her a small smile.

Adair turned the water as hot as it would go despite the tropical temperatures outside, blasting the sand and salt from her skin and hair.

When she emerged from the bathroom she was rosy pink, delightfully full and tipsy and she fell into bed.

By the time Charlie emerged from his own shower, she was fast asleep.

The next two days passed much the same. "I know you have this place for a week, but I need to get back tomorrow," Charlie said quietly when they were laying in bed.

"I know. I'm glad you stayed for as long as you did," Adair molded her body around his.

"I wish we never had to go back."

"Me either."

"But we have to so you can win the World Cup."

"Sssshh," she said, covering his lips with hers to stop that train of thinking.

She had refrained from any intimacy until that night to let her body recover in the sun and surf.

"We don't have to do this, Adair, especially if you're in pain."

"I'm not," she promised.

"Good. I've missed you." Charlie kissed her hungrily, running his hand up the inside of her thigh. He kissed down to her throat and as he took a breast in her mouth, he moved so he was in between her legs.

"Be gentle," she said quietly.

"Adair."

"No really, I'm fine and I want to, just be gentle." She looked up at him and nodded. "Please. I've missed you too."

Charlie pushed into her excruciatingly slowly. Adair sighed in pure pleasure, but his slow pace was going to drive her mad.

"You said gentle," he growled in her ear.

"I said gentle, not torture," she murmured against his neck.

Charlie picked up the pace a little bit and Adair felt her body tense. She was still sore, but with the building climax, it was a delicious pain.

They cried out at the same time and then Charlie rolled off of her, pulling her tight against his side.

After a moment of catching their breath, Adair decided to speak while he couldn't see her face.

"So, there's a dinner for both teams the night before the World Cup," she began.

"Mhm."

"I'd really like you to be my date."

"I'd like that too."

"But the reporters will want to know who you are."

"Charlie Weasley."

"Funny. In relation to me."

"Because everything revolves around you Quidditch players. I'm a friend of your brother's."

"That's pathetic. Adair Wood shows up to the most important meal of her life with a friend of her brother's."

Charlie laughed, chest rumbling under her cheek.

"What would you like me to go as? Your boyfriend?"

Adair was silent for a moment.

"It sounds better than a friend of my brother's."

"Then I am Adair Wood's boyfriend."

ooooOoooo

As soon as he Apparated back to the sanctuary, Sandor found him.

"You don't look pale and sickly like you're supposed to, lover boy," he said in his thick accent, huge grin on his face.

Charlie shrugged and tried to hide his own smile as he made his way back to his cabin. "I recovered in the sun. You really can't escape it down there."

* * *

There you go! I hope you liked it! This was fluffy, but we're going to get into some drama here soon and I'm excited! Let me know what you think of this update even though I delayed it for literally 10 months (God that sounds bad). I'd love to hear from you.

Happy reading,

Avonmora


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